Red Meat and Cancer

If you haven't seen the headlines all over your Facebook news feed yet, the World Health Organization just came out with a paper saying that consumption of red and processed meat is linked to cancer.

I feel a strong need to weigh in on this issue.

First, they are probably NOT able to take the quality of the meat in to consideration since there have been no studies (that I know of) examining the difference in the health of people who only eat grass-fed/wild healthy happy red meat vs. people who eat conventionally raised red meat...at least not yet, because it hasn't been happening for long enough yet.

Second, we all know that processed meats aren't good for you. The chemicals typically used to do the processing are most likely the main reason the food isn't good for you and this simply points to the fact that you should be eating fresher, minimally processed foods...hopefully most of us have gotten that message already.

"Processed meat refers to meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavour or improve preservation."

Third, they are drawing ASSOCIATIONS between the increased consumption of meat and colorectal cancers, this does NOT mean it's a cause.

"In the case of red meat, the classification is based on limited evidence from epidemiological studies showing positive associations between eating red meat and developing colorectal cancer as well as strong mechanistic evidence.

Limited evidence means that a positive association has been observed between exposure to the agent and cancer but that other explanations for the observations (technically termed chance, bias, or confounding) could not be ruled out." 

"Eating red meat has not yet been established as a cause of cancer"

Forth, by their own admittance "Eating meat has known health benefits."

"Red meat contains high biological-value proteins and important micronutrients such as B vitamins, iron (both free iron and haem iron), and zinc. The fat content of red meat varies depending on animal species, age, sex, breed, and feed, and the cut of the meat. Meat processing, such as curing and smoking, can result in formation of carcinogenic chemicals, including N-nitroso-compounds (NOC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Cooking improves the digestibility and palatability of meat, but can also produce known or suspected carcinogens, including heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAA) and PAH. High-temperature cooking by pan-frying, grilling, or barbecuing generally produces the highest amounts of these chemicals."

So this is not a free-for all pass people to start shouting from the rooftops that anyone who eats meat is unhealthy, each person can and should find a way of eating that suits them best and makes them feel the best whether it ends up looking more vegan or more paleo, no way is right for everyone.

"Vegetarian diets and diets that include meat have different advantages and disadvantages for health. However, this evaluation did not directly compare health risks in vegetarians and people who eat meat. That type of comparison is difficult because these groups can be different in other ways besides their consumption of meat."

So while I don't doubt that there is a link between the chemicals used in and created during the processing of meat and a possible increase in risk for developing cancer, I don't believe that this is as clear as people as making it out to be.

Cancer is an extremely complicated health issue and making associations does not necessarily help us figure out what the cause of cancer is in any one individual.

So yes, limit processed meats and all other processed foods, and choose whole, fresh, organic, ethically and healthily raised foods as much as possible...this recommendation for maintaining and improving your health hasn't (and probably won't ever) change.

If you want more info, check out the link to the Q&A the WHO has put out there so you can get the info for yourself instead of relying on what the media is saying...even better read the actual published article citing all the data they used.

Resources:

World Health Organization Press Release 26 October 2015 IARC Monographs evaluate consumption of red meat and processed meat: http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2015/pdfs/pr240_E.pdf

World Health Organization Q&A on the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/iarcnews/pdf/Monographs-Q&A_Vol114.pdf

The Lancet Oncology full text article Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat:

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(15)00444-1/fulltext

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Sarah's Favorite Things

Often times people ask me about the products I use..."What do you use on your skin? What's your favorite shampoo? Which coconut milk do you buy?"

Most of the time I answer with a product that I make myself, but not always (I can't do everything after all), sometimes I direct them to other companies that are making amazing products as well.

So I thought it was time to collect all of these amazing things in to one place.

Foods:

Kasadrinos Olive Oil...The real deal, super yummy stuff straight from the Mediterranean

Thrive Market - kind of like the Amazon version of WholeFoods...get discounts on all kinds of great natural grocery staples

Pete's Paleo - Paleo friendly meal delivery, in case you don't have time to do it yourself.

They also have an awesome 30-day gut healing kit that I recommend to my clients often.

Bullet Proof Coffee Ingredients - have you tired this yet? I've been using coconut milk in my coffee for as long as I haven't been eating dairy (going on 7 years now...) and I'm never going back. The coffee and cocoa powder are supposedly the best stuff ever (probably something to do with cat's picking the beans or some such thing)

Aroy-D Coconut milk in boxes - I LOVE the way this coconut milk tastes, and it doesn't have any funny additives...just the coconut! It comes in small and large boxes as well as cans...but I like the box because it's for sure BPA free. I also really like this one especially for traveling as it has a re-closeable container.

Coconut Butter - makes all things better...I simply eat it with a spoon

Sardines in Olive Oil - at first I never thought I'd like these, but you may come to love them as much as I do. They are a cheap sources of protein and good omega-3's from the fishies...they mix great in salads or with mustard on top

WB Kitchen Paleo friendly Cookies & Bars - these happen to be friend's of mine and I get to taste test their new flavors...so check out how amazing they are. Everything is sweetened only with honey

Wild Zora Bars - kinda of like upgraded beef jerky these are meat snacks that are super delicious (though one flavor has dairy so watch out for that if you can't eat it) and also made by friend's of mine. I love her bars a bit more than the Epic Bars (though I also LOVE those) because they don't have any added sugar...but I get what I can find when I'm on the go and not ordering online or buying directly from them

Coconut Aminos - my replacement for Soy Sauce ('cause I'm allergic to soy)

Brazil Nuts - 4 of these a day will get you most of the selenium you need, which many people are missing!

Supplements

I take these supplements everyday and recommend them to most of my clients.

UltraNutrient by Pure Encapsulations - has all the active forms of the vitamins you need on a daily basis...I typically take only 3 (1/2 the recommended 6 the bottle says to take) and find this is perfect for most people

Vitamin D Drops by Pure Encapsulations - super simple and easy to take, one drop = 1000 IU's so this little bottle will last you a while

Calcium/Magnesium Fizz - since I don't do dairy I like to have a little bit of supplemental calcium, but mostly I take this for the Magnesium. Calms Magnesium is another good one if you don't want the calcium (which you shouldn't need if you eat dairy)

Carlson's Cod Liver Oil Liquid - you can also get it in gel caps if you prefer...I switch back and forth between these two simply because I feel like it, one isn't better than the other

Beef Liver Capsules - now I actually eat beef liver on a semi-regular basis (I get a cow share each year that comes with liver) because I happen to like the taste...pate and meatloaf are my favorite ways to eat liver, but most people don't like the taste, and for them, taking it in capsules is great. You get all the nutritional benefits and none of the ick factor

Protein Powders:

These are some of the things I add to my daily morning smoothie

Shakeology - I use the Vegan Chocolate flavor everyday (though I also like the vegan strawberry just not as much as I love chocolate). I've tried others and like them ok (like the next one down) but truly nothing tastes as good or fills me up the same way as this one does.
If you can handle dairy then there are several different flavor options that are made with whey protein...word is there will be a Mocha flavor coming out December 2015

Greens & Fiber Boosts - an easy way to add some extra greens or fiber to your morning smoothie

Vega Sport Protein - the only other vegan protein that I like the taste of that doesn't upset my stomach..doesn't have as much other awesome stuff in it as the Shakeology does (like all the cool adaptogenic herbs) but it's a good option

Beef Collagen Peptides - collagen is crucial for healthy hair, skin, nails, and connective tissues in your body (hello athletes out there...this one is for you). Beef peptides offer a convenient way to add collagen to your diet. You can add them to cold or hot beverages such as a smoothies, juices, water, tea, or coffee, as well as a variety of foods such as oatmeal and yogurt. Beef peptides will not "gel" in cold liquids and they do not alter the texture or thicken liquids.

Beef Gelatin Protein - beef gelatin protein product will solidify or "gel" in cold liquids (this is what makes Jell-o) and as a result, it is ideal for hot beverages such as herbal tea, hot juices, or a protein pumpkin spice coffee. Hot liquids with collagen protein will solidify once cooled. This Beef Gelatin Collagen Protein is a 100% Pasture-Raised Beef Gelatin and is a stable in many recipes and can be used to make fruit gelatin, healthy gummy snacks, or added to soups an broths as a nutritious protein booster and thickener

Hair & Body Care

Acure Organics Moroccan Argan Shampoo and Conditioner - I do make and use almost all of my own body and face care items, but I haven't yet found a shampoo recipe that I like, and the vinegar thing didn't work out long term for me. This is the shampoo and condition that I've used for years and love it to this day.

Health Programs

These are some great programs that I have done myself and can fully get behind you spending your money on.

Healthiest Kids University: Healthy All Year - a course created by herbalist/midwife/Doctor Aviva Romm designed to teach parents how to care for their kids naturally.

Healthy Baby Code from Chris Kresser -  a step-by-step guide on how to get your body ready for making a healthy baby

Solving Leaky Gut - A really important health issue that MOST people are probably suffering from and need to take care of (this site has a quiz you can take to find out if you need to be concerned)

Healthful Pursuit's guide to Nutritional Ketosis - If you've been curious about trying out ketosis then this is the place to start

Menopausal Weight Loss Program - yes, women in menopause are different, and need to do things differently as well. The people over at Metabolic Effect are doing amazing things combining research with actual application

Fitness Programs:

Yes, these are BeachBody programs, and yes, I do love them and have tried most of them, these are my favorite ones (in order!):

21 Day Fix - the little containers in this program seriously changed the way I look and feel, and I love the workout variety

T25 - A great next step from 21 Day Fix, much more 'cardio' focused but still really fun

P90X3 - I LOVE the variety in these workouts...strength, cardio, kickboxing, you get it all in under 30 minutes each day

CIZE - a dance fitness program...lots of fun! You sweat like crazy and never want it to end

Brazil Butt Lift - it may seem silly but your booty will be working!

BodyBeast - not just for men, this program is great for women who want to build some real strength (though the trainer can be a bit annoying at times...just ignore it)

Other Random Things

Strawesome Reusable Glass Straws - Plastic sucks! Get rid of it and try these super cool straws instead

A note about the links above:

This is a personal blog written by me about health, natural living, and fitness. In order to continue doing what I love, it’s important for you to know information about affiliate links and/or products I recommend, as well as information about the advice I provide.

So, What Does “Affiliate Link” Mean?

Affiliate links are super simple: if you click on a link and make a purchase having been referred from my website, you are providing me with credit for that sale. Depending on the affiliate program, I may get a “store credit” or I may earn a small percentage of the sale itself.

Please know that you don’t have to use my links, but if you do, it really helps me support my blog and keep creating content for you. Your support is SO greatly appreciated, so thank you in advance!

Purchasing through these links passes NO costs along to you whatsoever. In fact, for any product I recommend, I always make sure it is a high quality, yet budget-friendly option.  I only recommend products and services that I personally use, trust, and feel would be helpful for you. All ideas and opinions expressed are completely my own.

And now the Standard FTC Disclosure: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

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Secrets of Very Fit People

Many people who want to get into shape are often looking for the Secrets of Very Fit People. The funny thing is… There are no real Secrets of Very Fit People, it’s just that very fit people make their health a priority and commit to significant, consistent actions to take care of their health.

So even though they are not secrets per se, understanding the secrets of very fit people and following what they do will help you to get in and stay in shape and achieve the results you desire.

Use these tips as a daily reminder to keep focused on your health.

1. Keep a water bottle with you at all times! Water should always be your drink of choice. The minimum of water daily requirement is 96 ounces (eight glasses) or more, depending on body size, the climate you live in, and how much physical activity you have each day. Remember you can add lemon, lime, cucumber, or a few berries to your water for flavor.

2. Look at exercise as a pleasure! The ability to exercise is a privilege, and should not be looked at as a burden or chore. Regular exercise will produce many positives effects in your life. Focus on the positive. Get excited about your next workout!

3. Eat balanced meals with proper portions! Excess calories will turn into excess weight. No matter what the latest fad diet says, extra or even too few calories equals extra weight!

4. Create and focus on short-term goals! Our first goal should be to focus on simply completing your daily exercise programs. From there you can establish further goals.

5. Keep a daily log of what you are eating! Whether on paper or electronically on your computer, tablet or smartphone, tracking what you eat is a must. Write it down or key or tap it in every time you put anything in your mouth. A handful of chips, or the crust of your kid’s sandwich, it all counts

6. Enjoy an occasional (once a week or every two weeks) “unhealthy” treat!  This should never become an unhealthy week or “I’m on vacation so I will just eat whatever”.

7. Have a partner or friend to exercise with! Accountability is important to staying on track. You can even create a real or virtual group if you want.

8. Invest in the right tools! Have good shoes and quality workout clothes. The more comfortable you are working out the better off you will be.

9. Make a goal of exercising 6 days a week. If your workout program is just 5 days a week, get a walk in on the other days.

10. Have an exercise schedule! Don’t leave it to chance or waiting to “find” the time. Have a schedule to know which workouts should be done on each day, and having a specified time will help keep you on track.

11. Move beyond the focus of weight loss! Measure success by the way your clothes fit and your energy level, not the number on a scale.

12. Get adequate sleep! 7-9 hours is important for muscle recovery.

13. Limit alcohol, caffeine, and sugar. All of these have negative effects on the body and its processes.

14. Supplement! Supplement your nutrition with a complete nutrition shake and other supplements to keep your body working hard through every workout.

As I said before these are not really secrets, but they are musts! Very fit people make all these things and more a part of their daily life. If you are not sure where to start, reach out to me so I can help you pick the right fitness program, nutrition plan (one that is simple, balanced, and teach proper portion sizes) and nutritional supplements that will help you get the results you want.

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Fitness Exercises For Men At Home with Busy Schedules

We all know that health and fitness should be a top priority in your life no matter what. After all, you only have one body and the better care you take of it now, the better off you‘ll be later in life. When it comes to working out, that’s often easier said than done. That is why, if you’re a guy, it’s important to find Fitness Exercises for Men at Home with Busy Schedules. Then there is no wasting time going to the gym and you can use the excuse “There are no good Fitness Exercises for Men that can be done at home”. Despite your best intentions to keep a consistent workout schedule, we all know there are many excuses such as, I am too busy, I am on vacation, and I am too sore, too tired, and unmotivated. 

Enough with the excuses because there is a way to incorporate Fitness Exercises for Men At Home with Busy Schedules.

1. Embrace shorter workouts:

You don’t need to spend hours working out to stay healthy and fit. If you use programs that incorporate high intensity interval training (HIIT), you can get stronger, more fit, and in the best shape ever in as little as 30 minutes. Checkout P90X3, Insanity Max30, 21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix Extreme and you will see how that can happen. These At-Home workouts are short and sweet but still offer a great workout.

2. Create a ritual:

To create a habit you must create a ritual around the new habit. Staying with an exercise routine is no different.

Workout first thing in the morning before you go to work. Create a ritual where every morning you get up, eat a small breakfast while listening to your favorite music to get you pumped up, take the dog for a quick stroll around the block, then work out, make a nutrition shake or recovery shake, shower, and drive to work.

If you consistently make this a part of your morning routine, eventually you will not think twice about it. It will just come naturally to you.

3. Schedule it in your calendar:

Make your workout as important as you would any other appointment. If you use Beachbody Fitness Programs they all come with a Calendar so you know exactly what workout and what exercises you will be doing. You can simply transfer this schedule into your calendar each week.

4. Commit for 30 days:

Many people have a hard time with long term commitments when it comes to exercise. This is where you look at committing to 21 or 30 day programs. The best Fitness Exercises for Men At Home with Busy Schedules that fit into these time frames are 21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix Extreme. If you want more than 21 days then you can commit other at home programs, but just focus on each 30 days as its own regimen.

The key is to commit to the habit and doing that habit consistently. 

5. Choose a Program that has Progressive Fitness Exercises

When you first start working out consistently, it is important that you have a high quality program that provides fitness exercises that are designed with the proper progression. This will keep you on track, improve your fitness levels, and help keep you from injury.

Start with the steps above and you will be more likely to succeed in the long run. Get rid of your excuses! There are many Fitness Exercises for Men at Home with Busy Schedules that will create great results. You just need to pick one and start.

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3 Signs Your Workout Program is Working

We know that when we exercise we perform everyday tasks better, our health is improved, and we feel better. So the question is, how do you know if your workout program is working for you? What are the Signs Your Workout Program is Working? 

That is actually a funny subject. The Signs Your Workout Program is Working are actually opposite of our intended goals. The signs are soreness, feeling slow or even sluggish, and feeling hungry.  While these signs may seem like negatives, we actually want these signs. These are clear Signs Your Workout Program is Working.

So the key is to embrace programs that are designed to push you just enough to make you sore, sluggish,  sluggish, and hungry. Programs lacking this threesome don’t provide you an incentive to get in top shape. When you push your body above its normal output, even it is it barely there, and you keep it there over time, you will yield improvements. 

SORENESS

Soreness is the first Sign Your Workout Program is Working. Soreness is the easiest symptom to understand. Most of us have been sore one time or another. Soreness happens when we do something physically that our bodies are not accustomed to doing. It can happen from doing yard work, to a pickup game of basketball, or spending hours at a theme park walking around. When you push your body beyond what you do in normal day-to-day activity, you can get sore. 

Muscle soreness comes from the breakdown of fast-twitch muscle fibers. Our bodies have both slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibers. Slow-twitch fibers have a low recruitment factor. This means they get fired up during low outputs. Fast-twitch fibers have a high recruitment factor. This meaning it takes something more intense to get them going. An example would be when you pick up your water bottle to take a drink, this requires the use of the slow-twitch fibers. When you jump up out of your chair and run to the front door you involve fast-twitch fibers. 

Fast-twitch fibers are repaired more slowly than slow-twitch fibers (i.e you don’t get tired from lifting your bottle of water, but you would get tired if you had to sprint to the door all the time). 

Hypertrophy means muscle growth. Muscle growth is part of a well rounded and varied training program. The greatest change in the body involves body fat loss and muscular gains. The quickest way to lose body fat is to gain more muscle. To create hypertrophy, you need to overload your muscle fibers progressively to keep breaking them down. As you become healthier this threshold will change. When you utilize progressive weight or resistance programs, you will get sore. Programs that switch between muscle groups cause muscle confusion and avoid plateaus, so you keep making progress. The best way to get this is to follow a program that is designed to change things up and keep you progressing forward, programs like those created by Beachbody.

SLOW AND SLUGGISH

The second Sign Your Workout Program is Working is when you feel slow and sluggish. This is the hardest condition to conceptualize but the easiest to explain. Remember that hypertrophy means your muscles are growing. When your body is growing it has to adapt to the growth.

Just because a muscle is large does not mean it is strong. It takes training to create those gains in size and in strength. The best gains are realized from a combination of low repetitions, high repetitions, eccentric and isometric movements, as well as agility, cardio and plyometric movements. These all teach the muscles to operate at a higher efficiency. 

When you use programs that mix the various exercise types, your muscles are learning and growing, which means you will experience times when you feel slow or sluggish. Typically you will experience slowness and sluggishness most in the first four weeks of the program,  the training phase. If you don’t feel these symptoms during this time, you are not pushing yourself hard enough and need to ramp up your training. This should be the same when you start a new program, or repeat a program. On the other hand, if the feelings of slowness or sluggishness persist beyond four weeks, you may be overdoing it and risk overtraining.  You must work to find a balance.

HUNGRY

Hunger is final Sign that Your Workout is Working. Do you typically feel hungrier when starting a new program? Well, in some cases the reason can be somewhat obvious. If you are trying to lose weight and start a nutrition plan that is portion controlled and contains foods your body isn’t necessarily use to, it takes time to adapt, especially if you leaned toward a lot of high fat and sugary foods. The body will make you feel hungry as you are weaning yourself off these foods because it is craving them. No different than a drug addict wanting more drugs, the body for a time will crave the types of food you used to feed it. 

You may also feel hungry even when your body has passed the cravings stage. This happens because the body needs nutrients to properly repair and grow. It is very difficult to provide through normal nutrition everything your body needs when you are under the type of duress a good progressive workout program creates. You can try, but you are not going to be able to feed your body what it needs through food without overeating. With overeating, you wouldn’t be able to put those calories to use, and some may get stored as fat.

The answer to the greater nutritional needs when you are working your body hard is supplements. When your body needs to be fed the appropriate nutrients, supplements should be your best friend. High quality supplements have very few calories and a lot of very well balanced nutrients, plus some supplements have targeted nutrients, which means they’re designed for nutrient efficiency.  The best solution is to utilize a nutrient dense total nutrition shake like Shakeology, and high quality performance nutritionals like the Beachbody Performance Nutrition Line. When you want above average results, you need above average supplements.

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Are you obsessed with food?

Today I want to talk to those of you who have been struggling with food and weight for longer than you care to admit…

I know some of you worry you’ll never get “there” with food and weight — the place where you’ll finally feel comfortable in your skin, and free of all the “food noise.”

Maybe you always “do well” for a while until something manages to throw you off course…and into a jar of peanut butter at 3 o’clock in the morning.

Maybe you know you’re eating emotionally, but just can’t seem to stop…

Maybe body shame triggers you into the same old restrictive patterns that always seem to backfire (and usually backfire into a bag of M&M’s…)

I know it can feel like a lot — and it can be downright crazy-making!

At some point, the diet-binge cycle and constant food noise, becomes so intrusive, that the only thing we want more than weight loss, is getting our sanity back.

That’s why I’m so grateful for coaches like Isabel Foxen Duke, founder of Stop Fighting Food — the ultimate resource on “ending the crazy” around food and one of the most unique and talented emotional eating coaches I know.

Isabel’s running a free video training series this month that I’m SUPER pumped about. This training shares some of her most critical insights on emotional eating, binge-eating, diet-binge cycling, and “generally feeling crazy around food.”

Isabel won’t only address your emotional eating patterns — she’ll help you end all the crazy-making food and body thoughts that instigate those patterns to begin with. Ya know, so food stops tempting, taunting and tantalizing you…and starts just being food.

Knowing Isabel’s work myself, I can attest that this chick knows what she’s talking about and produces serious results in the emotional eating world — if these are issues you struggle with, I highly recommend that you take a look and sign up for this free video training series.

What's it all about?

The Stop Fighting Food Free Video Training Series will teach you the skills you need to “stop feeling crazy around food.” For most women (and men as well!), this means ending the diet-binge cycle, addressing their emotional eating patterns, and putting a stop to the obsessive thought patterns that are so often triggered by compulsive dieting and food restriction.

This program addresses the thinking that underlies compulsive eating and obsession with food.


The Stop Fighting Food Free Video Training Series is a three-part video series covering the principles of Isabel's work:

VIDEO 1

(Available September 15th) discusses why emotional eating and binge-eating are not issues of willpower, but are reactions to diet-mentality and specific beliefs and thought patterns we hold about food. (i.e. why using willpower to try to control yourself around food often backfires).

VIDEO 2

(Available September 20th) discusses the two primary reasons people eat outside of physical need — specifically eating we do to soothe our feelings (emotional eating) and eating we do in reaction to restriction or shame (binge-eating).

VIDEO 3

(Available September 24th) discusses the importance of healing our body image in healing our relationship with food, and why body image woes are so often the root of compulsive food behaviors.


If any of the information that will be shared in these free videos sounds like something you (or someone you know) could benefit from, then be sure to sign up to get access to them.

Who is this program for?

This program is for those who feel depleted and frustrated by countless weight loss attempts; and generally feel trapped in the diet-binge-cycle-from-hell. Most of them identify as “emotional eaters” and feel out of control in their behaviors around food — like every emotional whim might send them straight into a jar of Nutella. They often believe there’s something “wrong with them” that they can’t eat like “normal people.” Thoughts of food, dieting, and weight consume much of their lives, and they struggle tremendously with poor body image.

What problems will these videos address?

“Feeling crazy around food” i.e. obsessive thinking about food, dieting, “health,” etc. on a regular basis

Emotional Eating i.e. compulsive feelings around food, feeling out of control around food, using food as a coping mechanism, etc..

Binge-eating i.e. periods of eating large quantities of food, generally after a period of “being good”with food, or restricting food in some capacity.

Poor body image or low self-esteem related to body size and/or food behaviors.

Who is this program NOT for?

This program does NOT provide treatment for people who are clinically eating disordered (i.e. at physical risk to themselves). If you feel you may fall in to this category, you can absolutely sign up for the free videos, but we strongly recommend you also seek medical attention from a licensed therapist and/or physician.

This is NOT a weight loss program. The goal is to help people achieve a healthful and sane emotional relationship with food first and foremost.

Does any of the above sound like you? If it does then sign up for the free video series and get started on working towards a better relationship with food.

If it doesn't, then great!! This may not be the thing for you, but perhaps you know someone who you think could benefit, and if that's the case, be sure to send this email on to them.

Your mindset around food is crucial to your health.

I see this issue a lot with clients that I work with on weight loss issues, sometimes it comes down to a matter of how you think about food and your body image.

And while I'm very well trained in the nutrition side of things, the what to eat, why to eat it, how it affects your health and well being, addressing the emotional side of things get's a bit trickier, so I refer to other experts, like Isabel.

By now you've probably gotten a good sense of what this program is all about, so if you even have the slightest feeling that this information in these videos could be of some benefit for you, then sign up for them, they are free after all.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means that if you click on them and then make a purchase, I receive a small commission from the company at no extra cost to you. Using my links helps to support me and my business so that I can continue to offer you the support you need on your path to health and wellness, so thank you.

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What are the health effects of caffeine?

Caffeine has its perks, but it can pose problems as well. The best thing you can do is to find out how much is too much for you, as well as the overall health effects of caffeine. Once you know the health effects of caffeine you can properly determine whether you need to curb your consumption.

Your DNA Determines your caffeine tolerance

Do you rely on caffeine to wake you up and keep you going? Well you aren’t alone. Caffeine is used by millions of people every day to increase wakefulness, alleviate fatigue, and improve concentration and focus. This can be a problem.

Caffeine is a powerful stimulant, and it can be used to improve physical strength and endurance if used properly, but it can also have some very bad side effects on your health if over used and over consumed.

According to Chris Kresser:

Coffee is the primary source of caffeine for Americans. Caffeine is metabolized by an enzyme in the liver that is encoded for by the CYP1A2 gene. Unfortunately, about 50 percent of the population has a variant in the CYP1A2 gene that leads to slow processing of caffeine.

For these “slow metabolizers,” drinking coffee:

• Is associated with a higher risk of heart disease (1)
• Is associated with a higher risk of hypertension (2)
• Is associated with impaired fasting glucose (3)
• May not have the protective effects against some cancers that it appears to for “fast metabolizers” (4, 5)

That said, in some cases coffee appears to be beneficial even for slow metabolizers. For example, caffeine is neuroprotective and reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease in both slow and fast metabolizers. (6) Other studies have even shown that fast—not slow—metabolizers of caffeine may be at higher risk of bone loss. (7)

Adding to the confusion, many of the large, observational studies I reviewed in my podcasts found that the overall effect of coffee intake in the populations studied was positive. If 50 percent of people are at higher risk of disease from drinking coffee because of their genotype, then why isn’t this showing up in these epidemiological studies?

What are we to make of these conflicting data?

The most obvious conclusion is that it’s impossible to make a general statement about the health impacts of coffee. The answer to the question, “Is coffee good for me?” is: “It depends.”

The most recent research on nutrition, including these studies on coffee and caffeine, confirm that this is true. While we share a lot in common as human beings, we also have important differences: genes, gene expression, metabolic activity, gut microbiome, lifestyle, activity level, and numerous other factors will differ from person to person, and all of these will impact how we respond to a particular food (or beverage, like coffee).

For example:

• There is wide variation in post-meal blood sugar among people eating identical meals, and diets that are personalized on the basis of dietary habits, physical activity, and gut microbiota are more successful than “standardized” diets. (8)
• Response to low-carb and low-fat diets in overweight people varies considerably and may depend on their insulin sensitivity and other factors that are not yet fully understood. (9)
• Caffeine consumed in the afternoon or evening significantly disrupts sleep in some people, but not in others. (10)

These studies represent the future of nutrition research. In fact, I’m quite sure that in a relatively short period of time we’ll consider the current notion that there’s a single, optimal diet for everyone as an outdated and ignorant idea.

Another conclusion that we might infer from the conflicting data on coffee is that even within a particular genotype the effects are variable. In other words, some slow metabolizers might be adversely affected by caffeine where others aren’t, and the opposite might be true for fast metabolizers. This also makes sense because there are a huge number of factors above and beyond the CYP1A2 genotype that would influence how coffee and caffeine affect an individual, from their baseline diet to their stress levels and sleep to their gut microbiota. It’s also true that being a fast or slow metabolizer of caffeine isn’t binary (i.e., two possible speeds: fast or slow), but more of a spectrum (ranging from very slow to very fast).

Now that we’ve established that coffee and caffeine can be both beneficial and harmful, how do you know how it affects you? Here’s what I suggest:

1. Listen to my podcast called Is Drinking Coffee Good for You? in which I discuss some of the non-genetic factors that determine individual response to coffee.
2. If you haven’t already done this, titrate yourself off coffee (reduce your consumption slowly until you’re off it completely) and other sources of caffeine for at least 30 days. Then add it back in and see how you respond.
3. Find out whether you’re a “slow” or “fast” metabolizer. You can get this kind of genetic data through companies like 23andme. If you’ve done 23andme, log in, go to “My account,” select “Browse raw data,” and type “CYP1A2” into the “Jump to a gene” search box. Once on the search results page, find the rs762551 SNP. In the far right column, it will give your variant of that SNP. If you are AA, you’re a fast metabolizer. If you are AC or CC, you’re a slow metabolizer (with CC being slower than AC).

Where can caffeine be found and is there a difference?

Caffeine is found in Coffee, Green Teas, Energy Drinks, soda, and in a pill form. Caffeine that you find in soda, pill form, or in the majority of energy drinks are synthetic versions of caffeine which is not a form of caffeine you want to be consuming.

Then add the sugar levels that are in soda and most energy drinks, and you are on the road to weight gain and an unhealthy body. If you are going to consume caffeine it should only come from coffee, green tea, or if you are using an energy drink you need to verify that it is coming from green tea or other natural herbs that have been found safe for consumption. 

A great natural energy drink is Energize by Beachbody. This product can found in their top selling Performance Nutrition Line.

How much is too much and what are the health effects of caffeine?

Some science says that up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults. The key word here is “Appears”. The newest science has shown that low doses of caffeine may have beneficial effects on the body, where high doses can hinder how the body operates.

Caffeine dosages really should be tailored to each individual. If you are new to caffeine or supplements that contain caffeine, keeping consumption at 100 mg or lower per dose would be a good idea. Typically, 200 mg or less of caffeine has shown to have fat-burning and performance improvement properties. Heavy caffeine use can cause unpleasant side effects, and caffeine may not be a good choice for people who are highly sensitive to its effects or who take certain medications.

Heavy daily caffeine use that is more than 400 mg a day may cause side effects such as: Insomnia, Nervousness, Restlessness, Irritability, Digestion issues and Bloating, Fast Heart Rate, Muscle Tremors, and Weight gain just to name a few.

High doses have been found to not improve performance or aid in fat burning because it causes sedation and relaxation effects by triggering those receptors in the brain. It also creates an inhibition of serotonin levels, acetylcholine, and your adrenaline system. When this happens to these systems you will see slowing in performance, and fat burning abilities.

Of course you only want the health effects of caffeine that are good. So you may need to take a look at your consumption and see how you can curb your caffeine habit to bring your consumption to the levels that will have a positive benefit.

Depending on your consumption, cutting back on caffeine can be challenging. An abrupt decrease in caffeine may cause withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, irritability and nervousness. Fortunately, these symptoms are usually mild and resolve after a few days.

To have health effects of caffeine that will benefit you, try these tips to get your consumption in line:

• Keep tabs. Start paying attention to how much caffeine you’re getting from foods and beverages. It may be more than you think. Read labels carefully. Even then, your estimate may be a little low because not all foods or drinks list caffeine. 
• Cut back. Remember to do it gradually. Decrease the amount by a few ounces each day. Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages late in the day. This will help your body get used to the lower levels of caffeine and lessen potential withdrawal effects. 
• Go decaf. Most decaffeinated beverages look and taste the same as their caffeinated counterparts. 
• Shorten the brew time or go herbal. When making tea, brew it for less time. This cuts down on its caffeine content. Or, choose herbal teas that don’t have caffeine. 
• Check the bottle. Some over-the-counter pain relievers contain caffeine, and can be as much as 130 mg of caffeine in one dose. Look for caffeine-free pain relievers instead. 

The bottom line is that caffeine can be a part of your daily routine if consumed at doses that benefit your health versus hinder it. When done this way, most of the time it doesn’t pose a health problem. 

Be mindful of those situations in which you need to curtail your caffeine habit. If you plan on using nutritional supplements that have caffeine make sure that is a high quality product that uses naturally low doses of caffeine, such as the Energize from the Beachbody Performance Line. Also keep in mind that when consuming these products you may have to keep your other caffeine beverages to lower levels.

When taking these things into consideration it will provide you the positive health effects of caffeine versus negative effects.

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