Sugar: Not So Sweet for Gut Health by Elissa Goodman

Cleanse expert Elissa Goodman, a certified Integrative Holistic Nutritionist based in Los Angeles, California, is my go-to gal for all things nutrition, health and wellness. I’m proud to call Elissa a good friend and happy to be able to share her knowledge with you as my first Guest Contributor for the new year!  

When Elissa was diagnosed with cancer at 32, she decided to explore holistic alternatives for healing. After combining them with select traditional treatments she was able to say F*** You to this disease! Needless to say, she is an inspiration and respected resource for many when it comes to all things health and wellness. 

Since this is the time of year when so many of us are focusing on fine-tuning how we eat and what we eat, I want to close out the month by sharing Elissa’s informative article on sugar as it pertains to gut health. This confusing carb can go by many aliases and is hidden in so many products, however, not all sugars or sweeteners are created equal. Read on to learn what to steer clear of and some great natural alternatives to feed your sweet tooth. 

xxMelissa

Sugar eaters: listen up! With all of the recent research on the gut coming to light over the last few years, you likely now know that the status of your gut microbiome is integral to overall health. With more than 500 species of bacteria living in or on the human body at all times, bacterial cells outnumber our own cells significantly. The bacteria that reside in the digestive system affect the body (and brain!) in seemingly countless ways. They enhance the effects of vitamins, help to regulate our immune system, and control our brain function, metabolism and levels of various neurotransmitters like serotonin, which significantly impacts mental health.

With so much on the line with gut health, it is no wonder that people are getting serious about maintaining it. Probiotic supplement sales are constantly rising, with global sales expected to reach $17.4 billion by 2027. And westerners are more obsessed with fermented (aka high good bacteria) foods than ever before, now that we know what incredible benefits they provide for the gut microbiota. But what many people do not yet realize is that preventative measures must also be taken to ensure that our gut is in optimal health. One of the effective measures to implement as soon as possible is limiting sugar intake.

Ultra processed sugar wreaks havoc on the digestive system. It feeds the growth of damaging organisms like yeast, candida and bad bacteria, which can seriously harm the gut. Bad bacteria produce toxins, called exotoxins, that damage healthy cells and can physically bore a hole into your intestinal wall. This can lead to leaky gut, which is when toxins, partially digested food and dangerous bacteria slip through the intestinal wall and penetrate the tissue and bloodstream beneath it. This can cause a slew of issues like widespread inflammation, obesity, skin problems and more. An overgrowth of bad bacteria can also lead to disorders like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, SIBO, depression, chronic inflammation, and even cancer.

It is important to make the distinction between naturally occurring sugar in foods like fruit and added sugar. Naturally occurring sugar in its whole form (aka beets, bananas, and apples, etc.) are fine. When I say be mindful of how much sugar you are consuming, I am talking about added sugar. However, I am not only referring to the white sugar that you may be adding to your morning cup of coffee (which I recommend nixing!). There is added sugar hidden in many of the food items we eat on a daily basis, and we do not even realize it! That is because many companies are aware of the negative effects of sugar, so they use other forms of it in order to prevent us from recognizing the ingredient names when we see them. A good rule of thumb for keeping track of your sugar intake is to always read the ingredients on the back of any food or beverage label that you are considering buying. Any ingredient that ends is “ose” can be assumed to be a sugar. 

Below is a list of other names for added sugar:

• Anhydrous dextrose

• Brown sugar

• Confectioner’s powdered sugar

• Corn syrup

• Corn syrup solids

• Dextrose

• Fructose

• High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)

• Invert sugar

• Lactose

• Malt syrup

• Maltose

• Molasses

• Nectars (for example, peach or pear nectar)

• Pancake syrup

• Raw sugar

• Sucrose

• Sugar

• White granulated sugar

It is ideal to limit your intake of added sugar to no more than 25 grams per day. To put that into perspective, the average added sugar intake per person in the US is currently around 77 grams per day. If you do want to add a hint of sweetness to your afternoon tea or need a healthy sugar alternative for something you are baking, I recommend going with a natural sweetener that does not spike blood glucose levels or provide an easy source of food for bad intestinal bacteria to feed on. The healthiest sweeteners are pure stevia leaf extract, monk fruit (sometimes called luo han guo), and lucuma. While sugar may feed the damaging bacteria in the intestinal tract, these three natural sweeteners possess antimicrobial compounds that may actually help to inhibit bad bacteria like candida and maintain bacterial balance.

Be sure that you are only buying pure stevia – if it says anything different or just ‘stevia,’ there may be unnecessary additives or it may be highly processed, which negates all of its benefits. In terms of monk fruit sweetener, I absolutely love the brand Lakanto – I use it in my own cooking constantly and in my cleanses regularly. 

Elissa Goodman is a Holistic Nutritionist and Lifestyle Cleanse Expert. After getting diagnosed with cancer in her 30s and then losing her husband to his own fight with cancer, she quit her job at Vogue to study holistic nutrition. Fast forward a number of years, and she has helped thousands of clients manage their own health issues. Elissa has created several successful cleanses, including her own delivered SOUP cleanse here in Los Angeles, which sells out every week, and her 7-Day RESET cleanse, which recently launched. Her Super Seed Bars from the SOUP Cleanse are now being sold online nationwide and they have received immense positive praise. Elissa collaborates with leading health and wellness partners including Café Gratitude and M Café, has signature juice blends at Erewhon Markets and a food program at Earth Bar in LAX. Elissa is regularly asked to contribute to outlets such as Huffington Post, abc7, NBC LA, E! News, Well & Good, Mind Body Green, The Daily Mail and more. Elissa is also regularly asked to be a guest on podcasts such as goop and Better Together with Maria Menounos. She published a best-selling book called Cancer Hacks and she’s currently working on her second book called Autoimmune Hacks.

Click here for more information on Elissa Goodman and follow her on Instagram! And shop the carousel below for some great sugar alternatives, as well as a look at Elissa’s book Cancer Hacks: A Holistic Guide to Overcoming your Fears and Healing Cancer!

8 Simple Ways to Boost Your Metabolism by Celeb Nutritionist Elissa Goodman

I was one of those girls who could always eat whatever I wanted, and my bodyweight basically stayed the same, give or take 5 lbs. But… I found that as I entered my 50s, my metabolism started to noticeably slow down. Even though I was regularly exercising and eating a healthy diet, a layer of “fluff” seemed to appear overnight. This change prompted me to take a closer look at and focus on my metabolism.

 In this article, guest contributor and celeb nutritionist Elissa Goodman shares her tips on how to re-boost your metabolism. Read on for some amazing tips and takeaways that have helped me and can help you achieve best results!

8 Simple Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

Elissa Goodman is a nutritionist whose mission is to educate and encourage healthy, mindful living while helping others embrace the concept that we are a product of what we eat and how we treat ourselves.

When you think of someone with a “fast metabolism,” you might immediately envision a naturally thin person. However, metabolism is actually the chemical process in which your body turns calories into energy, and everyone has the ability to implement practices that can shift your levels of metabolism. A strong metabolism has seemingly endless benefits. It is related to lower rates of disease, healthy sex drive, longevity, and more.

Those with autoimmune conditions typically suffer from a sluggish metabolism. It is almost as if their body’s energy-producing mitochondria and thyroid (AKA the “gas pedal gland”) have both gone on strike and, as a consequence, everything has slowed down. As a result of the change in metabolic function, someone with an autoimmune disease might feel tired and cold a lot. They could also have a hard time losing weight. A slow metabolism will decrease the robustness of the immune system, so it is essential to keep track of any big shifts in metabolic function. If you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease or just think that your metabolism needs a boost, I recommend trying some of these strategies:

Conscious Breathing

This is one of the most deceptively simple ways to raise your metabolism and relax your body and mind – at the same time. Studies have shown that practices, like yoga, that incorporate conscious breathing result in greater metabolic efficiency likely due to reduced sympathetic activity and/or stabilized nervous system function. If you are new to conscious breath work, do not be intimidated; anyone can do it! You can start by simply inhaling for eight seconds, holding your breath for eight seconds and then exhaling for eight seconds. Do three rounds of 10 breaths in the morning when you wake up and before going to sleep at night.

The Plant Based Ketogenic Diet

You have probably heard that the ketogenic diet has helped some people lose weight; but did you know that it has also been shown to improve overall metabolism in some cases? For those who are unfamiliar with keto, it is a style of eating that is high in fat, moderate in protein, and low in carbohydrates (roughly 70 percent fat, 25 percent protein and five percent carbs). The ketogenic diet can help to lower inflammation, reverse insulin resistance, improve brain function, increase energy levels, and even helps you detoxify from heavy metals. Keto doesn’t have to mean high animal protein and I wouldn’t recommend that version of it. There is a mostly plant-based keto program I would recommend. You can start by looking into Ketotarian by Dr. Will Cole.

Intermittent Fasting

Studies confirm that going without food for certain lengths of time has numerous health benefits like improving insulin sensitivity, increasing energy levels, and boosting metabolism. To ease into it, allow 15 hours between dinner and breakfast a few times per week. If you are more of a morning eater, try skipping dinner multiple times a week and only eat during the mornings and afternoons. Intermittent fasting is not intended to be calorie depriving. In fact, you should not be reducing your caloric intake at all when practicing this form of fasting. You are simply giving your body more time in between meals to reset because digestion is a lot of work on your system.

Stop Calorie Restriction

Give your body the calories it needs to function properly! If you are dieting too intensely, you can wind up entering “starvation mode.” This causes hormonal and cellular changes that drive up your hunger and thirst, while slowing down your fat-burning abilities and muscle growth. Your body slows down all of its essential processes as a means of conserving energy since it is not consuming enough fuel in the form of food.

Exercise

Various forms of exercise have been shown to have both short and long-term effects on metabolic function. I often tell my clients that mild intermittent fasting paired with moderate exercise can be a great combination for combatting poor metabolism. Moderate cardio in a fasted state first thing in the morning, for example, has been shown to offer superior metabolic effects than exercising after eating.

Cold Showers

You may be thinking that this one sounds like an old wives’ tale, but it actually works! Not only does cold water force your body to work harder to keep you warm, thereby burning more calories, it also activates healthy brown fat that helps to eliminate harmful adipose (white) fat. For optimal results, alternate 20 seconds of hot water and 20 seconds of cold water in the shower for a few minutes.

Get Plenty of Sleep

There is a proven link between a properly functioning metabolism and getting adequate sleep and rest. Therefore, a lack of sleep can literally mean a lack of weight loss. “Running on fumes” can seriously slow down your metabolism, so it is absolutely imperative for you to get around eight hours of sleep every night. Just because your brain may feel like it is able to function on limited sleep, that does not mean that your body is operating optimally on it.

Eat the Right Foods

There are various foods that can help to boost your metabolism in different ways. Some of them include healthy fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, and wild fatty fish. Foods rich in iron, zinc and selenium promote proper thyroid function, which helps to maintain a healthy metabolism. Spicy foods like chili and cayenne peppers contain a compound called capsaicin, which may help to slightly increase metabolism and fat oxidation. Similarly, garlic can have a thermogenic effect in the body, which enhances the metabolism. The caffeine found in coffee may also help to boost the number of calories and fat that your body burns. If you are not a coffee drinker, do not worry, you are still in luck. The combination of caffeine and catechins found in green tea may help your body burn slightly more calories and fat if consumed regularly.

Ginger has also been found to increase calorie burning processes. Cacao may have certain metabolism-boosting properties as well, especially for those consuming high-calorie, high-fat diets. Almonds have numerous benefits and among them is metabolism improvement and weight loss. Coconut Oil and MCT Oil have shown similar promise for their metabolism-enhancing properties. I often recommend that my clients add a spoonful of MCT oil to their morning coffee or smoothie to kickstart their metabolism for the day ahead. Finally, experts agree that eating a variety of colorful, antioxidant-rich plant foods is essential for mitochondrial health. It is important to stay away from high-glycemic and high-carb foods like sugar and white flour because they can put a lot of stress on your mitochondria, inhibiting your metabolic function.

If you are experiencing an extreme and uncharacteristic shift in metabolic rate, I recommend consulting a doctor before testing any of these strategies.

Shop some metabolism-boosting essentials by clicking links in the carousel.

I hope you found this article helpful and let me know what works to help you boost your metabolism in the comments below!
xxMelissa

Meditation 101 with Suze Yalof Schwartz

As part of my guest blog series following the International Women’s Day post, I’m excited to add my friend Suze Yalof Schwartz, founder and CEO of the popular Los Angeles-based meditation studio and app Unplug Meditation.

I knew Suze from when we lived in NY and she was the Editor at Large for Glamour.com back in the day and hitting all the shows at New York fashion week. Suze worked in a high-pressured role as fashion editor, and “makeover guru” for Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire and Glamour Magazine with regular national television appearances on GMA, The Today Show, Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN and CBS Early Show as a style expert.

In November of 2012, the big idea came to Suze when she was taught a powerful three-minute breathing and guided visualization technique that transformed the stress she was under to calm. Blown away and wanting more, her teacher suggested meditation. Suze’s search for a place to easily learn meditation yielded disappointing results for a busy, working mother. The options were all time-consuming and expensive. Suze wondered, Where is the Drybar of meditation? Where you can walk in feeling icky and walk out feeling great? When Suze realized that meditation needed a makeover this was the beginning - Hello Unplug!

Unplug Meditation is the world's first drop-in, secular meditation studio with a wide variety of simple and eclectic classes led by the top experts and some of the best meditation teachers in the country. Clients range from ages 6 to 96, from CEOs of Fortune 500 companies to the everyday stressed-out. Unplug’s clean, modern design calms you the instant you walk through the door or follow on the app.

Like all of us, Suze is a busy person and she believes that meditation can be delivered without excess fluff or fuss and she's on a mission to inspire everyone to join her and unplug for just a few minutes a day. In this series I will share with you Suze’s Meditation tips and tricks on how we can do that.

To start here are 5 reasons why meditation makes you happier:

• Meditation shrinks the amygdala, the part of the brain that controls anxiety and fear. Less anxiety and fear translates to less stress. Less stress means more joy.

• Meditation can lower the amount of cortisol in the body, otherwise known as the stress hormone. Less cortisol, less stress, more capacity for joy.

• Meditation can provide a level of relief from symptoms of anxiety and depression similar to that of antidepressant drugs. Peace and happiness, no prescription needed!

• Experienced meditators are able to dial down their daydreaming. This matters because when our minds meander, they usually drift into worry or rumination, so less mind wandering is associated with more happiness. Being present, it turns out, is a ticket to being happy.

• Meditation increases the activity in the left prefrontal cortex - the happy, calm zone of the brain.

To see more on the science of why meditation can make you happier, read Suze’s post on MindBodyGreen

Click on images to shop essentials for relaxation and meditation!

Download the Unplug app with a free 7-day trial and start your mediation practice today…it can change your life!

xxMelissa