Weight Management – Page 10 – Body Weight Workout & Exercises

September 12, 2023September 12, 2023

The Gut-Skin Connection: How Food Impacts Your Skin Health

overall health. The food we eat can have a significant impact on our skin, due to something called the gut-skin axis. Understanding this connection can help us improve skin conditions like acne and slow visible signs of aging.

The Skin Microbiome

Just like our gut, our skin has its own community of microbes living on its surface. While we know less about the skin microbiome compared to the gut, we do know there are millions of microbes inhabiting our skin. Some are beneficial while others can trigger inflammation and skin disorders. The skin microbiome interacts with our immune system, especially in early life.

The makeup of each person’s skin microbiome is unique, shaped by genetics, age, lifestyle and environmental factors. Many of the microbes are beneficial and help protect against pathogens and regulate our immune function. However, when certain microbes become overgrown, they can trigger inflammation, allergies, and skin disorders.

We know the gut microbiome plays a major role in our health, and research shows the skin microbiome also interacts with our immune system and affects how conditions like eczema, psoriasis and acne develop. Good skin bacteria produce antimicrobial peptides that protect against bad bacteria. Exposure to natural environments, pets, and dirt in early childhood helps develop a healthy diverse skin microbiome. Too much hygiene disrupts this process and may increase risks of inflammatory disorders. The skin microbiome is a promising area for new acne and anti-aging treatments.

Diet and Acne

Acne is an extremely common skin disorder, affecting about 9.4% of the global population. It’s most prevalent in teenagers but continues affecting many adults too. Hormonal factors play a major role in acne, but emerging research shows strong links between diet and acne as well.

Specifically, studies show diets high in refined carbohydrates and sugar that spike blood glucose levels tend to worsen acne. Milk and other dairy products also appear to trigger hormonal changes that increase oil production and inflammation. Foods like white bread, sugary sodas, and milk provide a perfect storm for acne.

After a high glycemic meal, blood sugar rises rapidly, causing a spike in insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). These hormones boost oil secretion and can ramp up androgen hormones like testosterone that exacerbate acne. The hormonal impact of dairy, especially milk, may be due to its effects on insulin and IGF-1 as well.

For teenagers already dealing with a surge of androgens during puberty, a high sugar, high dairy diet can tip the balance and trigger breakouts. The same diet and hormonal effects continue wreaking havoc on adult skin too.

Cutting out entire food groups often backfires by leading to deficiencies and disordered eating habits. A balanced approach is reducing, not eliminating, high glycemic refined carbs and dairy. Trade soda for water, white bread for whole grain, and choose healthy fats and protein to stabilize blood sugar. Getting plenty of vitamins A, D, E and zinc is also beneficial for acne treatment

Practical Tips for Acne Prone Skin

If you have inflammatory acne, see a dermatologist for proper treatment. You can also help by:

Using a gentle, non-stripping cleanser twice a day
Moisturizing with a non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores) moisturizer
Applying products with retinol, which reduces clogged pores
Avoiding scrubbing or exfoliating inflamed skin
Reducing high glycemic carbs and dairy

Slowing Skin Aging

While we can’t stop the intrinsic aging process, up to 80% of visible skin aging comes from sun exposure and other external factors. Using sunscreen, avoiding peak sun hours, and covering up can dramatically slow photoaging.

Other ways to minimize premature aging include:

Using retinol creams at night to boost collagen
Applying antioxidant serums like vitamin C to protect skin
Reducing stress and getting enough sleep
Eating a Mediterranean style diet high in produce, fish and olive oil

Collagen supplements show mixed results and the effects don’t seem to last once you stop taking them. Polyphenols in food may offer some sun protection but don’t replace sunscreen. Antioxidant IV drips are not proven to make skin look younger.

The Brain and Skin Connection

Stress doesn’t just mentally affect us – our stress hormones physically bathe the skin. Chronic stress and poor sleep are strongly linked to inflammatory skin disorders. Spending time in nature may lower stress and benefit the skin.

In summary, the skin is a living, reactive organ closely tied to our overall health. Optimizing your diet, managing stress, and taking some simple anti-aging steps can help you put your best face forward.

September 5, 2023September 5, 2023

The Main Culprit Behind Gout: Fructose and Alcohol

Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is produced when the body breaks down substances called purines. Purines are found in many foods, but there are two main culprits that drive up uric acid production and increase the risk of gout: fructose (sugar) and alcohol.

Fructose Metabolism Leads to Excess Uric Acid

Fructose is a simple sugar found in many foods and beverages including fruit, fruit juice, soda, candy, desserts, and products containing added sugar. Not all sugars are equal when it comes to gout risk. Sucrose, lactose, and maltose do not appear to increase uric acid levels like fructose does.

Fructose is metabolized differently than other sugars. It is absorbed directly by the liver, while glucose first goes to the bloodstream. In the liver, fructose is broken down into various byproducts, including uric acid. The more fructose consumed, the more uric acid the liver produces.

High fructose intake has been shown to increase uric acid levels and gout risk for several reasons:

Fructose increases oxidative stress and inflammation in the body more than glucose. Chronic inflammation damages tissues and impairs normal metabolic functions.
Fructose causes insulin resistance, leptin resistance, and fat accumulation in the liver. This leads to metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and other issues that are often seen with gout.
Fructose metabolism inhibits nitric oxide production and causes high blood pressure, another condition associated with gout.
The byproducts of fructose metabolism prevent the mitochondria from properly utilizing pyruvic acid. This forces the liver to turn excess calories into fat.

The Sugar Addiction Cycle

The chronic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction caused by excessive fructose intake leads to intense food cravings, especially for sugary foods. This creates a vicious cycle of sugar addiction. The more sugar someone consumes, the more uric acid is produced and the higher the risk for developing gout.

It’s no coincidence that gout often occurs alongside other conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and metabolic syndrome. These are all related to insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction, which are driven largely by excess fructose consumption.

These cravings are very difficult to ignore due to the effects of sugar on the brain’s reward pathways. The taste of sugar lights up the nucleus accumbens, releasing dopamine and creating a surge of pleasure and desire for more. This makes sugar highly habit forming and addictive.

Over time, it takes more and more sugar consumption to stimulate the same degree of dopamine release and pleasurable high. This demonstrates the development of tolerance, a hallmark of addiction. The inevitable result is higher and higher sugar intake.

Alcohol Also Raises Uric Acid

Like fructose, alcohol intake increases uric acid levels and gout risk. Beer especially can raise uric acid because it contains purines that get broken down into uric acid.

Alcohol also reduces the kidneys’ ability to excrete uric acid in a couple ways. First, it directly impairs kidney function, reducing their ability to filter out waste products like uric acid. It basically inhibits the kidneys from doing their job of removing excess uric acid from the blood.

Second, alcohol metabolism creates byproducts that are toxic to kidney cells and damage kidney tissue over time. This compounding damage to the kidneys again reduces their capacity to properly excrete uric acid.

The combination of increased production of uric acid (from breaking down purines in beer) along with decreased excretion of uric acid (from kidney impairment) is a double whammy. This causes uric acid levels to substantially build up.

Even moderate alcohol consumption can interfere with proper uric acid excretion. And the more heavily someone drinks, the worse the kidney damage becomes. People who drink regularly and heavily are especially prone to gout attacks.

For those already dealing with high uric acid levels or gout, alcohol should be avoided completely. At a minimum, moderation is key. Consuming more than 1-2 servings of alcohol per day, and especially binge drinking, will make gout worse and more frequent. The impact that even a single night of heavy drinking can have on uric acid levels and gout risk should not be underestimated.

Avoiding Gout in the Modern World

In the past, gout was mostly seen among royalty and the upper class who consumed lots of rich foods and alcohol. But with the cheap availability of added sugars today, the average person eats far more fructose than is healthy.

The recommended limit for added sugar is only 25 grams per day. But most Americans consume three times that amount on average. With fructose hidden in so many foods, it takes effort to minimize intake. But doing so can go a long way toward preventing gout and related metabolic conditions.

Along with limiting sugar and alcohol, eating a diet low in purine-rich foods can also help lower uric acid levels. Foods particularly high in purines include organ meats, seafood, and red meat. But avoiding sugar and alcohol is most crucial.

Testing Uric Acid Levels

Blood tests can measure uric acid levels. Values above 5.5 mg/dL often indicate mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance. Other markers like fasting insulin and triglycerides can also reveal insulin resistance issues.

The higher your uric acid level, the more likely you are to develop gout at some point. By cutting back on dietary fructose and alcohol and keeping uric acid levels in the healthy range, you can prevent painful gout attacks and reduce risk for many other chronic diseases. A healthy lifestyle goes a long way.

September 5, 2023September 5, 2023

Understanding the Early Warning Signs of Pre-Diabetes

Pre-diabetes is a sneaky condition that impacts over 88 million Americans, many without even realizing it. This precursor to type 2 diabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of full-blown diabetes. The good news is recognizing symptoms early and making lifestyle changes can reverse pre-diabetes before it progresses into diabetes. In this article, we’ll explore the most common signs of pre-diabetes and what you can do about them.

What is Pre-Diabetes?

Pre-diabetes indicates that blood glucose levels are elevated beyond the normal fasting range of 70-100 mg/dL, but below the 126 mg/dL threshold for diagnosing type 2 diabetes. This state of hyperglycemia is the result of insulin resistance, where cells fail to adequately uptake glucose from the bloodstream. To compensate, the pancreas secretes more insulin. Over time, it can’t keep up, leading to chronically high blood sugar.

Without intervention, most people with pre-diabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. However, the progression can be slowed or reversed through lifestyle modifications like diet, exercise, and weight loss. Medications like metformin may also be prescribed. Catching pre-diabetes early is key, so being aware of the signs is critical.

Vision Changes

Blurred or fluctuating vision is one of the most common early symptoms of pre-diabetes. Here’s why: elevated blood glucose causes fluid to be pulled from the lenses of the eyes, changing their shape and disrupting focusing ability. You may experience episodes of nearsightedness or farsightedness as a result.

The good news is that for most people, the vision changes are temporary. Once blood sugar is under control, vision should go back to normal. Still, irreversible damage is possible over time, so schedule an eye exam if blurry vision persists. Your optometrist can check for signs of diabetic retinopathy, a complication that damages the blood vessels in the retina.

Fatigue and Low Energy in Pre-Diabetes

Do you feel extremely drained, even after a full night’s rest? Fatigue and low energy levels are very common with pre-diabetes. Here’s why: Your cells rely on glucose for fuel. But when they become insulin resistant, they struggle to access glucose from the bloodstream. This essentially starves your cells of energy, leaving you feeling chronically fatigued.

You may also find you run out of steam faster when exerting yourself physically. Exercise tolerance decreases dramatically. Pay attention to how easily you get winded with routine activities. If your stamina seems to suddenly decline with no other explanation, have your blood sugar tested.

Increased Thirst and Frequent Urination

Excessive thirst and urination are classic signs of high blood sugar. Here’s what’s happening inside your body: When blood glucose gets too high, your kidneys try to get rid of the excess sugar through urine. To accomplish this, they send a cascade of signals prompting your body to release more fluid.

You then feel intensely thirsty as your body struggles to replenish this lost fluid. You may find yourself waking up multiple times at night to pee. The excessive urination then leads you to drink more, creating a vicious cycle. If you’re running to the bathroom hourly around the clock, that’s a red flag worth discussing with your doctor.

Sudden Weight Loss in Pre-Diabetes

While obesity is a risk factor for pre-diabetes, sudden unexplained weight loss can also signal trouble. Rapid fat loss when you aren’t actively dieting deserves medical evaluation. Here’s why this happens: Without enough insulin, your cells become starved for glucose. Your body starts breaking down fat and muscle stores for energy.

While losing a few pounds unintentionally may not raise alarm, talk to your doctor if you lose more than 5-10% of your body weight quickly. Keep in mind that increased thirst, frequent urination, and fatigue often accompany rapid weight loss tied to pre-diabetes.

Slow Healing Cuts and Bruises

Do you notice your minor wounds, cuts, and bruises taking longer than usual to heal? Impaired circulation from high blood glucose could be the culprit. Here’s how it happens: Excess sugar in the blood makes blood cells stickier and more sluggish. This slows wound healing because nutrients can’t reach injured areas as efficiently.

Poor circulation also inhibits immune cells from getting to wounds to fight infection. Diabetic neuropathy, nerve damage stemming from chronically high glucose, also contributes to slower healing. Pay attention to any unexplained delays in recovery from small injuries. It may signal a problem.

Increased Infections in Pre-Diabetes

Speaking of immunity, did you know that pre-diabetes can make you more prone to infections? Elevated blood sugar impairs immune function, reducing your ability to fight bacteria and viruses. As a result, you may find yourself catching every bug that goes around. Or frequently struggling with urinary tract infections, yeast infections, sinus infections, and skin infections.

Hyperglycemia creates a favorable environment for undesirable microbes to thrive. This is especially true for opportunistic fungi like candida. Pay attention if you seem to constantly be battling some type of infection. Also be proactive with protective habits like hand washing, dental hygiene, and skin care.

Changes in Mood and Focus

Feeling more irritable, anxious, or depressed lately? Have trouble concentrating or staying focused? These could be signs that your blood sugar is off. Research shows that high blood glucose causes inflammation which impacts mood and cognition. Pre-diabetes disrupts hormones that influence emotions and mental sharpness as well.

Don’t ignore feelings of sadness, volatility, brain fog, or detachment. High blood sugar affects the entire body, including your mind. Getting back in balance equals better health on all fronts. Talk to your doctor about mood or focus changes in conjunction with other pre-diabetes symptoms.

Dark Patches on Skin – Acanthosis nigricans

Some people first discover they have pre-diabetes when dark velvety patches appear on their skin, especially in skin folds and creases. This condition, called acanthosis nigricans, stems from insulin resistance. The high insulin levels in blood then trigger growth factors that cause skin cells to multiply rapidly.

These hyperpigmented areas usually form on the neck, armpits, elbows, knees, and knuckles. While harmless on its own, dark patches signal metabolic changes brewing internally. Have your blood glucose and insulin levels tested if you notice these skin changes. Treating pre-diabetes can help reverse acanthosis nigricans.

Tingling Sensations and Numbness – Neuropathy

Another skin-related symptom of pre-diabetes is neuropathy – nerve damage that causes prickling, pins and needles sensations, usually in the hands and feet. Numbness or reduced sensation may accompany it. High glucose levels injure nerve fibers over time, disrupting sensation. Neuropathy is often the first manifestation of undiagnosed diabetes.

Early detection and treatment of pre-diabetes can help prevent progression of neuropathy. Don’t ignore tingling, burning, or numbness in your extremities – it may indicate blood sugar problems. Nerve damage worsens the longer hyperglycemia goes unchecked. Save your nerves by getting tested promptly.

Take Away Message

Hopefully this overview gives you a better understanding of the range of symptoms linked to pre-diabetes. No single sign confirms it, but a combination of multiple symptoms warrants checking your fasting glucose and HbA1c.

If caught early, most cases of pre-diabetes can be improved or reversed through lifestyle interventions under a doctor’s supervision. Don’t wait until it progresses to full-blown type 2 diabetes.

Act at the first signs your body gives that blood sugar may be off. Your health is worth fighting for!