7 FOOD ADDITIVES CAUSING LEAKY GUT AND AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE

7 FOOD ADDITIVES CAUSING LEAKY GUT AND AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE

Autoimmune diseases are among the fastest growing diseases in our country and others. They have shown a steady rate of increase over the past 3 decades, especially in Western cultures, and it’s now estimated that 25-50 million Americans suffer, making it more prevalent than cancer or heart disease. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates annual direct healthcare costs for Autoimmune Diseases to be in the range of $100 billion. In comparison, cancer costs are $57 billion and heart and stroke costs are $200 billion. Multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel diseases (mainly Crohn's disease), systemic lupus erythematosus, primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune thyroiditis, hepatitis and rheumatic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis), and celiac disease are several examples. Over 100 different diagnoses have been considered autoimmune in their mechanism.1

Autoimmunity occurs when the body’s own defense system - the Immune System - has trouble differentiating good things from bad things, or telling “self” from “non-self”. The immune system is designed to attack invaders, which are “non-self” (bacteria, viruses, toxins). It shouldn’t attack your body’s own tissues. When the immune response is altered or abnormal, it will begin to attack “self” tissues. For example, if the immune system mounts an attack against thyroid tissue, this is called autoimmune thyroiditis, often diagnosed as Hashimoto’s Disease.

Your body’s first line of defense against invaders (before the immune system mounts an attack) is keeping those bad things out of your body, such as chemicals, toxins, additives - what are called xenobiotics - or foreign substances. There are four main ways xenobiotics can enter the body - injecting them directly into the bloodstream (vaccines), breathing them in through the lungs (air pollution), absorbing them through the skin (personal care products), or probably the most destructive - entering through the digestive tract. The reason this can be the most destructive method of toxification is because most of us eat every day, we have to eat to survive, and if you are eating any version of an American (Western) Diet you are constantly exposing yourself to a plethora of inflammatory proteins, chemicals, and toxins that are continually making your body sicker and sicker.

Leaky Gut

Your digestive tract (or gut) consists of not just your stomach or intestines, but the whole food pathway from the mouth to the anus. Each section of the “gut” has a different specific function (the mouth for initial food breakdown via saliva, the stomach for enzyme degradation, small intestine for nutrient absorption, large intestine for water and B12 absorption, etc).

The job of the gut is to let the good stuff in (vitamins, nutrients) and keep the bad stuff out (xenobiotics and waste). 

Your gut is lined by a single layer of cells called the gut epithelium. It’s this thin layer of cells that lets the good stuff pass through and keeps the bad stuff out! When this layer becomes damaged, bad stuff gets into the bloodstream and the immune system will then recognize this and mount an immune attack. I always use the analogy of a screened-in porch. The job of a screen is to let the good stuff in (fresh air and cool breeze) while keeping the bad stuff out (mosquitos, bugs). A screen is a very simple yet very effective single layer of protection against these things, just like your gut lining. But what happens if somebody is poking holes in your screen? The good stuff still gets in, but so does the bad stuff. This is what is called a Leaky Gut, and it’s at the root of many disease processes today, including autoimmune diseases. Many factors influence the integrity of your screen, or gut lining (diet, stress, alcohol, antibiotic use, oral contraceptives, etc) but I want to share with you specifically these 7 food additives that this particular study proved cause leaky gut and will absolutely contribute to autoimmune disease.

1. Sugar. I always put sugar as number one on my lists of foods to avoid, and it’s no coincidence that this study did the same. Sugar fuels inflammation, it feeds cancer, it feeds candida and bad bacteria in the gut, and according to this study, it pokes holes in your gut lining.

2. Salt*. “Cereals and baked goods are the single largest contributor to sodium intake in the US and UK...The salt content in processed foods can be 100x higher than homemade meals.” Added salt not only increases intestinal permeability, but increases inflammation often associated with autoimmune diseases. *This is ADDED salt into PROCESSED foods, it’s not the same as dietary sea salt at home!

3. Emulsifiers and Surfactants. “....widely used in the bakery, confectionary, dairy, fat and oil, sauces, butter and margarine, ice cream, cream liqueurs, meat, coffee, gum, beverages, chocolate and convenient food industries...numerous synthetic surfactant food additives have been shown to increase the intestinal permeability through paracellular and/or transcellular mechanisms.” These are seen on the label as things like lecithins (soy lecithin is in everything) or polysorbates (polysorbate-80 is also an ingredient in several vaccines).

4. Organic Solvents. “The organic solvent chemicals are genuinely dangerous. Most of them have warning information on the labels as poisons. Examples of organic solvents used in industry are: benzene, xylene, toluene, turpentine, acetone, methyl/ethyl acetates, hexane, ethanol and several detergents…..Some nutrients like glutamine and polyphenols protect TJ barrier integrity (gut lining), in contrast, several organic solvents used in the food and beverage industries, like alcohol and its metabolites impair the TJ barriers.” Alcohol is one of the biggest culprits for poking holes in a leaky gut, not just alcohol that you choose to consume, but added alcohols and other solvents! I have personally tested high for xylene exposure in the past, this is one of the sources.

5. Gluten. Gluten has a lot of research showing what it does to the gut lining and its implications in Celiac disease. Gluten’s main antigen called Gliadin has been shown to inhibit cell growth, cause cytotoxicity (cell toxicity), alter cellular metabolism, and destroy the gut lining.

6. Microbial transglutaminase (mTG). “Multiple applications of mTG in the food industry exist: improvement of meat texture, appearance, hardness and preservability, increased fish product hardness, improved quality and texture of milk and dairy products, decreased calories, improved texture and elasticity of sweet foods, protein film stability and appearance and improve texture and volume in the bakery industry.” These are fake meat glues and texturizers that make food look, feel, and taste a different way. Gross!

7. Nanoparticles. This is the newest and fastest-growing technology in food additives, and we still don’t know a lot about future health implications, but we do know that it causes intestinal permeability. But that never stopped us before!

Some of these additives we may be more familiar with (sugar, salt, gluten) while others we may have never heard of. This is just one paper also, this isn’t an all-inclusive list. (*Another major player in poking holes in the gut lining is Glyphosate, or Roundup. Glyphosate has been shown to not only poke holes in the gut leading to leaky gut, Celiac disease, and autoimmunity but also decrease your body’s own detoxification methods, leading to increased toxic burden.)3

The point that I hope you take-away from this article isn’t to go looking on your food labels for “Sugar-Free” or “Gluten-Free” or to check your ingredients list for soy lecithin (it’s in there!) or nanoparticles. The point is TO EAT REAL FOOD. The food additive business is a multi-billion dollar industry, it’s not planning on slowing down anytime soon.  You can choose not to buy processed foods! You are responsible for your health. You decide what you put in your mouth and your children’s mouths and bodies! When you eat real food you can avoid and eliminate these and many many other chemicals, toxins, additives, dyes, preservatives, sweeteners, texturizers, etc and stop causing sickness and disease to be treated with more medicine. Don’t eat food that looks like real food. Like Sean Croxton of Underground Wellness always says:

JERF. JUST EAT REAL FOOD.

1. http://www.aarda.org/autoimmune-information/autoimmune-statistics/

2. Lerner, A. Matthias, T. Changes in intestinal tight junction permeability associated with industrial food additives explain the rising incidence of autoimmune disease. Autoimmunity Reviews Vol 14, Iss 6. June 2015. Pages 479-489

3. Samsel, A. Seneff, S. Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases II: Celiac sprue and gluten intolerance. Interdisciplinary Toxicology. 2013 Dec; 6(4); 159-184

By Dr. Taylor Krick BSc DC

3 Different New Year's Eating Plans! *FREE DOWNLOADS GALORE*

Do you have big goals for the New Year?

Have you ever been motivated to make a change in your diet, only to find that there is SO MUCH information out there that it's hard to make a decision and you end up doing nothing? Let us help you this year!

Here are some of our favorite meal-plans from the Institute for Functional Medicine, complete with a Comprehensive Guide, Recipes, Weekly Planner, and more. Here is a short description of each, feel free to look at all 3 Comprehensive Guides in order to determine which is the best fit for you!

IFM Detox Food Plan - This plan puts a focus on specific nutrients and anti-inflammatory foods to support your body's natural detoxification pathways. Supporting detox could be a great start to the New Year!

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IFM Elimination Diet - This is a classic anti-inflammatory/autoimmune Elimination Diet that cuts out gluten, dairy, red meat, and several more potentially inflammatory foods and then teaches you how to re-introduce them 1-by-1 to see which foods you could be reacting to. It's not as strict as Whole30 or Autoimmune Paleo Diet but still very effective!

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IFM Mito Food Plan - this is a lower carb, gluten-free food plan that combines food with intermittent fasting principles to support your body's MITOCHONDRIA, which produce all of your cellular energy for thoughts, immune function and detoxification, and these mitochondria get damaged over time by poor diet, high stress, inflammation, and especially toxin exposure. This is Dr. Taylor's favorite of all 3!

4 Essential Oils for Yeast and Mold Overgrowths

One thing that I absolutely LOVE is using “ancient healing principles backed by modern science”. Essential oils are a great example! Modern science completely validates the use of essential oils in many conditions, including yeast/fungal overgrowth, minimizing the need for potentially harmful medications or chemicals. These are God’s pharmaceuticals - derived from nature, used for 1000’s of years with great benefit and minimal side effects. 

Fungus includes yeasts like Candida species and molds like Aspergillus, Pencilum, and Stachybotrys (black mold). Fungus can “colonize” in the dark, moist environments of the gut or sinuses and release toxins that can impact the brain and immune system, causing inflammation. Fungal overgrowth can cause a myriad of symptoms including fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, bloating, depression, pain, and much more. Our last email detailed some “fungus facts”, but this is one of the most common issues we see in our clinic - even in kids!

There are MANY MANY strategies that we employ to help someone overcome a high fungal burden, and one of these strategies is ESSENTIAL OILS. I personally use essential oils as a sinus rinse in a Neti Pot every single morning! 

Dr. Taylor’s 4 Favorite Essential Oils for Fungal Burden

• Tea Tree

• Thyme

• Frankincense

• Peppermint

Depending on the location of the problem (gut, sinus, bedroom, basement) these essential oils can be used topically, in a sinus rinse, nebulized, diffused, or taken orally. Often we try to do all of the above and just try to get them introduced to the environment where they can do their work!

Here are some studies that support the use of essential oils in killing fungus like Candida and breaking up “biofilms” that these fungi build to hide under. 

Effect of Clove and Thyme Essential Oils on Candida Biofilm Formation and the Oil Distribution in Yeast Cells

Selected Essential Oils as Antifungal Agents Against Antibiotic-Resistant Candida spp.: In Vitro Study on Clinical and Food-Borne Isolates

Candida albicans Impairments Induced by Peppermint and Clove Oils at Sub-Inhibitory Concentrations

Essential Oils and Antifungal Activity

The in vitro effect of selected essential oils on the growth and mycotoxin production of Aspergillus species

The 2 Most Common Thyroid Problems I See (and it’s NOT hypothyroidism!)

The 2 Most Common Thyroid Problems I See (and it’s NOT hypothyroidism!)

The thyroid is an amazing little gland. Every cell in the body has receptors for thyroid hormone, and thyroid hormone regulates your Basal Metabolic Rate, or the metabolism in all of your cells. Thyroid hormone is necessary for heart health, bone health, brain health, gut health, and certainly overall health. If your cells are not getting the correct amount of thyroid hormone, you WILL have problems eventually.

Hypothyroidism is a common diagnosis, but there are other thyroid patterns that I actually see more often in my functional medicine clinic. These are the people (often women) who have all the symptoms such as slow metabolism, low energy, weight gain, brain fog, hair loss, constipation, anxiety, depression, poor sleep….but may have been told their “labs look good.”

This is because conventional lab work typically looks at 2 maybe 3 pieces of the thyroid puzzle, but it’s a 10-piece puzzle! It’s also worth mentioning that autoimmune disease has a big impact on the thyroid, and sometimes the lab numbers actually do look good, but the person is still having symptoms, because the problem isn’t with the thyroid gland, it’s with the autoimmune attack that is creating inflammation and leading to bigger problems. This article talks about 2 patterns that, regardless of Hashimoto’s or not, cause many of the most common thyroid symptoms. 

To understand these common thyroid patterns, it’s necessary to have a very basic background of how thyroid hormone production works. 

Hypothalamus/Pituitary - these areas of the brain receive signals from the body and send signals to the thyroid gland:

“Hey brain, we need more hormone down here. Tell thyroid.” 

“Hey thyroid, they need more thyroid hormone ASAP! Make more!”

TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) - the signal from the pituitary gland to the thyroid gland saying “Make more hormone!”

Thyroid - The actual gland in the neck producing the hormone.

T4 (Thyroxine) - The thyroid produces almost exclusively T4 (93%), which is the inactive form of thyroid hormone. That hormone needs to be converted into the active form, T3. 

T3 (Triiodothyronine) - The active form of thyroid hormone, the one that matters for metabolism and cellular function. T4 needs to be converted to make T3.

True Hypothyroidism

True hypothyroidism is actually the least common of these 3 patterns, but it’s worth describing so you understand why many people are told their thyroid “looks normal”. Hypothyroidism means that the thyroid gland is truly underperforming and is not releasing enough thyroid hormone. When the thyroid is not producing enough T4, the brain is notified, and the pituitary gland sends a signal to the thyroid gland that says “Make more hormone!” This signal is called TSH, or thyroid stimulating hormone, and it’s often the only marker tested by doctors. 

True hypothyroidism is diagnosed by a TSH above a certain threshold, typically 4.5 or 5.0 depending on the lab. So, for a person with a TSH of 8.0, their brain is desperately trying to get their thyroid to produce more hormone, but it’s not able to keep up with the demands, and it’s called hypothyroid.

Hypothyroidism is common in our country, but it takes a long time for the body to reach true hypothyroidism, and the following patterns are MUCH MORE COMMON!

Pituitary Pattern - Low T4 and Low TSH

What if the thyroid is not producing enough T4, but it’s not being told to work any harder? 

Understanding the thyroid physiology described above is necessary to understand this concept, but a “pituitary pattern” is when thyroid production (T4) is low, but yet TSH is also low, so the “signal” to the thyroid to produce more hormone isn’t happening. 

This is somewhat of a hormonal “communication breakdown”. The pituitary also communicates with the adrenal glands to produce DHEA, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol, and the reproductive glands to produce estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. If there is a problem in the “pituitary control tower”, there are often hormonal problems in several of these areas. 

The causes for a pituitary pattern are unknown, but I see them correlated with chronic stress - both stress of today’s life - kids, job, bills, relationships, traumas - but also toxic environmental stress like mold or heavy metals. The pituitary is very sensitive to all kinds of stress, as it is an integral part of the stress response!

Under-Conversion Pattern - High T4 / Low T3

The thyroid makes thyroxine (T4), but T4 needs to be converted to T3 for it to be “active”. What if the thyroid is doing a fine job of making T4 but it’s not being converted properly to T3?

This is called an under-conversion pattern. Conversion of thyroid hormone is done by an enzyme called 5’-deiodinase, and primarily takes place in the liver and the gut.

If T4 is fine, then TSH will typically be fine, so this often looks like “perfect labs” in a doctor’s office who only checks TSH and T4 (most conventional offices). T3 is crucial, because it’s the one that matters. I like to check T3 and Free T3, which is the free, unbound, available thyroid hormone. T3 is more important to look at for conversion processes. 

There are actually 24 different thyroid patterns that I evaluate for in practice, all having to do with different causes. Pituitary pattern and under-conversion are the most common, but still beg the question - why??

Proper thyroid hormone production and metabolism requires a lot of things - vitamins and minerals like B vitamins, selenium, zinc, iodine….but also requires good nutrition, quality sleep, regular exercise, healthy microbiome, proper stress management, good detoxification pathways, etc. Each person is unique and their puzzle will be different than the person before them - this is chess not checkers!

Top 5 Supplements to Decrease Stress

Top 5 Supplements to Decrease Stress

It’s no shock to hear that people are tremendously stressed out today, even before the whole COVID-19 thing. Chronic stress is detrimental to good health - it leads to exhaustion, depression, anxiety, hormone imbalances, insomnia, weight gain, immune system problems like cancer and autoimmune disease, and fuels inflammatory diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. It’s bad for the heart, the brain, the gut….everything. It can be safely said that chronic stress is the #1 killer in our world today. 

Stress is not just bills, life, relationships, the hustle and bustle of today’s pace of life. Stress comes from lots of places - poor diet, bad sleep, toxins like mold, heavy metals, chemicals, and plasticizers, past abuse and emotional traumas, electromagnetic radiation from our “smart” devices…..all of these stress our bodies on the cellular level and lead to cellular damage.  

Stress is a “response” when your cells sense danger, and this elaborate “response” includes hormones like cortisol and epinephrine (adrenaline), neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, GABA, and activating certain genetic pathways to turn on certain genes, like inflammatory genes. If you keep this “response” up for too long, you WILL run into serious problems. Here are the top supplements to help support the stress response on a cellular level. 

B Vitamins

B vitamins support an incredible array of cellular functions. In my personal office I have a huge, overwhelming poster of all the metabolic processes in the entire body, and I sometimes joke to patients that “B vitamins support ALL OF THAT.” (pointing to the whole thing)

B vitamins support mitochondria, metabolism, methylation, microbiome…..everything. Specific B vitamins have many specific jobs - B9 (folate) supports the methylation cycle and MTHFR gene (amongst many others of course); B12 (cobalamin) supports energy production and reduces homocysteine, an inflammatory marker; B6 supports neurotransmitter production like serotonin and melatonin, B1, B2….they all have specific jobs and you need them all. 

A general rule of thumb is that when you give one B vitamin, you should give them all, so I like to use a broad-spectrum B complex most often to support the stress response, unless labs show us a specific need. Not all B’s are created equal however, so you want to choose reputable sources that use things like folate instead of folic acid, and hydroxy- or methyl-cobalamin instead of cyanocobalamin. Sometimes I use methylated B vitamins, but not always, sometimes methylated B vitamins can cause anxiety!

My favorite B vitamin product is called 16B, because it contains 16 different B vitamins. 

Magnesium

Magnesium is similar to B vitamins in the fact that it is required for basically every process in the body. Magnesium is a necessary cofactor in over 300 biochemical processes, including the stress response, mitochondrial energy production, metabolism, neurotransmitter production, glutathione recycling, and more. Magnesium is a common supplement taken for its calming effect, its ability to help sleep, and it can also help bowel motility (and if you take too much this could be a problem!)

The reason that magnesium and B vitamins are both so depleted is that they get “used up” at a faster rate under stress, so you need to “refill the tanks” more often. It’s estimated that more than 80% of our population is deficient in magnesium, due to our depleted soil levels, poor food quality, and increased cellular stress. 

Like B vitamins, there are many forms of magnesium, and quality matters. Magnesium oxide is less bioavailable and is used more often for bowel motility. Magnesium glycinate is arguably the most popular. Magnesium chloride is epsom salts that are great to soak in. Magnesium chelate, magnesium citrate, magnesium carbonate….these are just different forms that may absorb differently, and some people notice a better response from taking different forms of magnesium. That’s one of the reasons we carry at least 9 different forms of magnesium in our clinic!

CBD or Hemp Oil

Cannabidiol, or CBD is another supplement that does so many things in the body it’s hard to put into words. Your body has a built-in “system” called the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) that modulates things like hormones and neurotransmitters associated with the stress response, brain function, pain modulation, and more. Things like exercise naturally stimulate your ECS. Taking CBD as a supplement stimulates your own Endocannabinoid System, and decreasing stress and anxiety are two of the top reasons people take CBD, because they feel a distinct difference. Anxiety, sleep, and joint pain are the most common reasons for CBD.

Full spectrum CBD Oil taken sublingually is the best option for generalized stress. We also carry epsom salt bath soaks that combine magnesium with CBD, as well as rollers that combine essential oils with CBD, so you can kill two of these birds with one stone! We have several other articles and videos on our website about the benefits of CBD and why we carry Rooted Apothecary full-spectrum hemp products.

Adaptogenic Herbs

Adaptogenic herbs are interesting. The reason they are called “adaptogenic” is that they have been shown to “adapt” to the needs of the body - sometimes they lower hormones, sometimes they raise hormones, but they bring BALANCE to the endocrine system. Herbal medicine has been used worldwide for 1000’s of years, and as today’s science continues to discover the mechanisms behind how herbs affect our physiology, it becomes more apparent why so many herbs can help with so many different functions. The reason these herbs, like ashwagandha, rhodiola, holy basil, and others have such a broad impact is because they support the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, the control centers for thyroid, adrenal, and reproductive hormones, and an integral part of the stress response. 

This “balancing” of the endocrine system can help support the stress response and bring a general feeling of “calm” over the body, while having measurable impacts on hormone function.

Essential Oils

Many essential oils bring a “calming” feeling through aromatherapy, ingestion, or topical therapy. While there are many blends with names like “serenity”, “relief”, the most popular classic oil for stress relief is lavender. 

Lavender can be diffused around the clock, it can be rubbed on the bottom of kids (or adults) feet, it can be used in a bath...there are many uses, and it’s inexpensive. 

If you are feeling stressed, I recommend any combination of these. Diffuse lavender while you take an epsom salt bath with CBD in it (we sell a CBD-infused bath soak, people love it!), right after you’ve taken your magnesium. Your B vitamins you did earlier in the day :) 

Don’t use just one because you “like it”. Yes lavender will help you feel “calm”, but you need to keep in mind the stress response on a cellular level and make sure you are providing your body with adequate vitamins, nutrients, and herbs to fight the stress response, while also working to decrease your stress inputs from food, relationships, bills, toxins, electromagnetic radiation, social media, news…...it’s overwhelming today and we wish everyone the best of luck - and if you need help, that’s what we are here for!

The Top 8 Causes of Fatigue and How To Address Them

The Top 8 Causes of Fatigue 

Fatigue is one of the most common complaints heard in a doctor’s office today, with 5-7% of patients listing fatigue as their chief complaint, and nearly everybody else mentioning it as a big factor in the way they feel. These numbers are grossly underestimated, I rarely see someone without fatigue listed in their Top 3 Complaints. Many people don’t realize that fatigue is a clinical problem, so they under-report it to their medical doctor. In my clinics I have taken health histories on 1000’s of patients, and I very rarely get any (adult) patients who DON’T list fatigue as a complaint, and it’s becoming more and more prevalent to see people in their teens and 20’s with fatigue as a primary or secondary health complaint. 

Fatigue has a broad spectrum of severity, and it’s very personal and subjective. You could feel a little sluggish or you could feel like you have been hit by a truck. A ‘down day’ for you might be an ‘up day’ for someone else. You could feel tired for a day, a week, or you could feel tired every day for many years. 

I have had so many patients who struggle to get out of bed to go to work or parent their children. 

I’ve had patients who’ve said that their kids would come to their bedside when they needed something because they knew that’s where mom could be found. I’ve had (grown adult) patients who need their parents to help them get through a trip to the grocery store. I’ve had patients who need 3 days to recover after vacuuming the house. 

This is a highly debilitating problem for millions of Americans every single day, and a moderately debilitating problem for tens of millions of others who are still functioning but just don’t have the energy they feel they should have, and it’s a huge problem. This list is not by any means all-inclusive, in fact it’s only scratching the surface of complexity, but the goal of functional medicine is to look for the CAUSE by looking at the underlying mechanisms, and this is a dang good start. Here are the Top 8 Causes of Fatigue. 

1. Anemia(s)

Improper evaluation and management of anemia is incredibly common in today’s healthcare system, and anemia(s) are very common, that’s why it’s #1 on my list. Anemia(s) are problems with red blood cells - their quantity, size, and amount of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is necessary to carry oxygen to cells, which is the mechanism for fatigue: low iron → low HGB → low oxygen to cells → hypoxia → low cellular energy production. It sounds simple, but anemia(s) can be very complicated. Most people have heard of anemia but they aren’t aware that there are microcytic and macrocytic anemias, hypochromic and hyperchromic anemias, anemia of iron deficiency, anemia of chronic blood loss, anemia of chronic disease….it’s actually quite complex, but it’s REALLY common, so it’s the first thing to rule out. 

Besides “iron-deficient anemia”, another common form of anemia is “Pernicious Anemia”, or B12-deficient anemia. While it is fairly rare to be actually diagnosed as Pernicious Anemia, it’s not uncommon at all to have issues absorbing and using vitamin B12, which leads to methylation issues, detoxification issues, neurotransmitter imbalances, and of course, fatiguing issues. 

Labs are crucial for proper management. Anemias can be fixed by trying to take more iron or more B12, but still - why was it low? Many times it’s an absorption issue, and certain things need to be optimized within the stomach like optimizing stomach acid to absorb iron. 

2. Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Everyone somehow remembers from school that mitochondria are the “Powerhouse of the cell”.... But seriously, they are the powerhouse of the cell, they power all cellular functions, and our body is made up of trillions of cells, and mitochondria power the whole thing, so when you talk about energy and fatigue, you have to talk about mitochondria. Mitochondria are like your body’s battery system, and when the batteries are dying, you are losing energy. Your body has roughly 50 trillion cells. Each cell contains 400-4000 mitochondria, the highest concentration being found in the brain, heart, and liver - very energy-dependent organs. That’s an insane number of mitochondria to calculate!

Mitochondria use energy in the form of electrons and protons from food, specifically from carbohydrates and fat, and together with O2 (oxygen) generate energy in the form of heat, H2O (water), and ATP - which is the currency used by the cells to generate energy. In a given day, a 65 Kg adult produces over 150 Kg of ATP! This production of energy is also known as “metabolism”, so when someone talks about a fast or slow metabolism, they are talking about the mitochondria.

Mitochondria are fascinating, and really they could be this entire article, because they ARE THE ENERGY PRODUCERS. Poor diet damages mitochondria. Trans fats damage mitochondria. Too much sugar damages mitochondria. Blue light damages mitochondria. Anemia impacts mitochondria by decreasing the O2 provided. Heavy metals damage mitochondria. Mold damages mitochondria. Stress impacts mitochondria. Inflammation damages mitochondria. Everything. Is. Mitochondrial. 

Exercise helps mitochondria. B vitamins, magnesium, glutathione, amino acids, vitamin C, CoQ10….these all impact the mitochondria and energy production pathways. A ketogenic diet really helps mitochondria. Intermittent or extended fasting helps mitochondria. Red light therapy helps mitochondria. Hot or cold therapy helps mitochondria. There are so many things that we know are good for us but we may not realize that it’s because of the impact on mitochondria!

Mitochondrial function can best be tested by Urinary Organic Acids, which looks for a buildup of metabolites in the urine indicating a dysfunction in metabolic pathways in the mitochondria, then combining that with serum markers like thyroid hormones, homocysteine, and more. 

3. Poor Sleep

Sleep is the most obvious cause of fatigue. If you sleep poorly you are going to be tired, and we have likely all felt that mental and physical fatigue. If you chronically experience poor sleep, you will be chronically fatigued and your health will deteriorate. Many important functions of the body are performed while sleeping, like healing and regenerating tissues, rebuilding energy stores, detoxification - and many important functions are related to proper circadian rhythm, or sleep cycles. These critically important functions include hormone secretion (hypothalamic-pituitary axis), immune system function, metabolism, cellular function, and gene expression. For this reason, altered circadian rhythm and poor sleep is associated with most of our modern diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular risks, obesity, mood disorders, diseases of metabolism and energy, and even cancer. 

While you are asleep your body cycles through stages of sleep - stage 1, 2, 3, REM, and back through again. Stage 3 is what’s known as “deep sleep”. As you cycle through the stages you spend less time in deep sleep and longer time in REM, which is why you are more likely to have more vivid dreams closer to waking up. Many people can sleep 8-10 hours and still wake up and not feel rested, and this is often a sign they are not getting enough deep, restorative sleep. 

We have a webinar on “How To Sleep Better.”, which gives some good habit suggestions to improve your sleep hygiene, and In our recent podcast episode “3 Ways to Control Light Exposure For Better Sleep” we discuss sleep cycles, circadian rhythms, and melatonin in detail and give you simple action steps to control light exposure to enhance your sleep. 

4. Stress and Poor Adrenal Function

If you google search “fatigue” and are researching why the heck you are so tired, you are likely to come across many articles talking about adrenal fatigue, which is more properly termed HPA axis dysfunction. 

Stress has become a normal part of life in today’s society. Chemical, Physical, and Mental or Emotional stressors create a physiological stress response that leads to inflammation of your cells and disrupt your hormone balance, specifically affecting your HPA Axis, or Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis. This hormone communication system (along with your thyroid) is largely responsible for your body’s energy production and regulation, and the workhorses of this system are called your adrenal glands. These walnut-sized glands, which sit on top of your kidneys, produce your body’s stress hormones including cortisol, DHEA, norepinephrine and epinephrine (or the name we are more familiar with - adrenaline).  Cortisol specifically is your body’s main stress hormone.

When your adrenals are being overworked, they fatigue. At first they produce MORE stress hormones, which creates receptor resistance, but eventually they begin to produce less stress hormones, hence the nickname “adrenal fatigue”. The first step to balance stress hormones is to reduce mental or emotional stress through methods like meditation, prayer, exercise, grounding, mindfulness, or the best one - taking a vacation. This will take time, but gradually you will find that your stress response is changing, your energy is changing, and you are generally feeling less fatigue. In today’s world, if you are not actively reducing stress, it will catch up to you!

Supporting the adrenals with supplements can be magical for fatigue - IF THE CAUSE IS NORMAL, DAILY STRESS and you just need some stress support. This can be done with certain herbs like ashwaganda, rhodiola, adrenal cortex glandulars, vitamin C, and B vitamins. We often see great results with fatigue by simply supporting the adrenal glands and adding in a high-quality full-spectrum B vitamin complex. If someone is suffering from extreme adrenal issues there is almost ALWAYS an underlying cause like mold, a leaky gut, chronic toxicity, a hidden infection (see below), or something that is providing a constant, low-grade stressor to your body at all times without you knowing it. 

5. Thyroid Imbalances

The thyroid gland regulates your body’s metabolism and energy and is closely related to the adrenal glands. In fact, the same hypothalamus-pituitary control tower has an HPT Axis - Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid axis. The thyroid can be either hyperthyroid - which means it is producing too much thyroid hormone, or hypothyroid - in which case it is producing too little thyroid hormone. HyPOthyroidism is more commonly a cause of fatigue, lethargy, weight-gain, thinning hair, body temperature imbalances, and general poor feeling of well-being. 

The thyroid gland can be altered by many factors, shown in the image below. 

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As you can see, there are a lot of factors that can affect your sensitive thyroid!

Approximately 80-90%% of hypothyroidism is what’s called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. This is an autoimmune condition in which your immune system actually begins attacking your thyroid tissues, causing further inflammation and poor thyroid function. Sometimes the key to proper thyroid function isn’t the thyroid gland at all, but other causes such as leaky gut or intestinal dysbiosis. IT IS CRUCIAL TO HAVE PROPER THYROID TESTING TO DETERMINE WHERE THE REAL PROBLEM IS!  

Conventional medicine will determine thyroid diagnosis based on very limited testing of what is called Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, or TSH. This is horribly inadequate! A proper thyroid panel will (at least) include markers like T4, T3, T4 (free), T3 (free), Reverse T3 (rT3), T3 Uptake, and antibodies TPO and TG to determine whether the immune system is attacking the thyroid. Watch my Thyroid Disease Webinar to learn about the thyroid, its pathways, what testing you need to have, and how you can support it. I have a lab result sitting in front of me right now that a conventional endocrinologist would likely say “your thyroid is fine”, but with further testing we discovered severe inflammation and antibody levels (meaning that the immune system is attacking the thyroid) that are 7x the upper limit! Synthroid is one of the top-selling drugs in America, and millions are told they need a medication without truly knowing where the problem lies. It’s crucial to get the right testing to know so you can address the underlying functional issue. 

6. Gut Dysbiosis

Your gut is populated by hundreds of trillions of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc) which make up the environment known as your gut microbiome. These bacteria are responsible for an incredible array of important functions in your body including digestion, hormone balance (including conversion of thyroid hormone (T4) into the active form T3), neurotransmitter metabolism, brain function, detoxification, and keeps the delicate gut lining intact and healthy. When this microbiome becomes imbalanced or disrupted massive problems arise - including fatigue, brain fog, allergies, skin problems and many different inflammatory autoimmune conditions. 

Good bacteria are known as probiotics, which are all the rage today as a supplement. Your gut really needs a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria, about 80% good to 20% bad. Your gut microbiome can become dysbiotic, or imbalanced, from many things in our 21st century lifestyle like a Standard American Diet, stress, medications, toxins, and probably the worst offender - antibiotics. Think about an anti-biotic - it is specifically designed to kill bacteria. Which bacteria? It is not specific. It kills ALL bacteria (anti = no; biotic = life). One round of antibiotics can disrupt your microbiome for life! Another common cause of dysbiosis comes from day 1 of life, a C-section birth. When a baby passes through the vaginal canal he or she receives their first and most important dosage of probiotics. If the baby misses this probiotic dosage, a slew of health symptoms can arise in a very short time. It is even suggested that during a C-section birth a mother uses a sponge to transfer the probiotics to the infant after birth!

Like the adrenal glands and stress, I have seen fantastic results by simply supporting a healthy microbiome with probiotics - for some people. At the same time (and more often than not), THIS ALONE IS OFTEN NOT THE ANSWER! Many people have had severe gut dysbiosis and leaky gut for years and need further work - cycling supplements, leaky gut support, drinking bone broth, and much, much more. Dr. David Perlmutter, a neurologist and NY Times best-selling author who specializes in the gut-brain connection, has said “the way to know if you have leaky gut is if you have a vowel in your name.” This is a joke, but the point is that in today’s society we all have intestinal permeability and gut dysbiosis and we all need to address the root cause of the problem. This is highly personal and you need to work with a physician or coach to help guide you! 

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7. Toxicity - Heavy Metals, Chemicals, Mold

Constant exposure to various toxins, which creates chronic toxicity, is a huge problem in today’s society. We live in a toxic, chemical soup. We have cancer-causing toxins in our kids toys, heavy metals in our food, additives in our vaccines, pollution in our air, antibiotics in our water - they are everywhere. Toxicity can cause hormone imbalance, gut dysbiosis, and can cause very severe fatigue. These toxins store in the cells of our body and affect our cellular membranes causing inflammation, including brain inflammation of the cellular membrane and the very delicate mitochondrial membrane. If you are suffering from fatigue, you have a mitochondrial problem! 

Heavy metals are some of the worst toxins because of their ability to store in our cells and affect the brain neurons - mercury, lead, and aluminum being the biggest culprits. These toxins are very hard to detect, because if they are stored in our cells then they will not be present in a conventional  blood, urine, or hair test. If you suspect heavy metal toxicity you absolutely have to work with a knowledgeable practitioner to determine if toxins are present and how to safely and effectively detoxify them. 

Another toxin that can absolutely rob your energy is mold. There are several types of dangerous molds, not just ‘black mold’, and there is a certain percentage of the population who are genetically susceptible to mold toxicity (approximately 24% of the population carry the HLA-DR genes). Severe mold toxicity can present as something called Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). This inflammation can affect the brain and cause severe fatigue along with many other debilitating symptoms. If you suspect mold toxicity it’s incredibly important to have the right home testing, the right body testing, and the right treatment. 

Dave Asprey, founder of the Bulletproof brand, has created an incredible film which is available for free at www.moldymovie.com.  If you or a loved one suspect mold toxicity, I would highly recommend watching the documentary to learn more. We also have many resources for mold toxic patients on our website and Youtube channel. Mold is a HUGE PROBLEM. When we have young, otherwise healthy patients who don’t respond to quality supplements and probiotics we begin to suspect mold, and when we discuss a timeline with patients about when their symptoms begin, it’s almost creepy how much sense it begins to make that something in their ENVIRONMENT is making them sick. 

8. Hidden Infections

If someone is experiencing severe fatigue and they feel like they have “tried everything” mentioned above, there is often an underlying hidden infection that is stressing their body. Some of the most common hidden infections include: 

Lyme Disease (Borrelia bergdorferi) - the most common and fastest growing vector-borne infectious illness, this biotoxic disease is famous for being transmitted by ticks and presents with similar symptoms as mold toxicity - with debilitating fatigue being at the top of the list. Over 300,000 people are infected with Lyme disease each year according to the CDC, and roughly 40% of those infected will suffer long-term health problems. Like many causes of fatigue, there really isn’t a good solution in the medical model, and testing and treatment are often inadequate and leave the patient confused and with very little positive results.

Epstein-Barr Virus - the virus that causes ‘mono’, it’s estimated that 90% of people are carriers of EBV, but the infection can be ‘active’ or ‘inactive’, and infections can “re-activate” and lead to all sorts of problems. EBV is associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. 

Helicobacter pylori - this bacteria is also carried by many people worldwide (approximately 50%), and can be easily spread by sharing cups, silverware, etc. H. pylori can burrow into the stomach lining and causes low stomach acid, and is the most common cause of ulcers. It can also cause a myriad of other symptoms including nutrient deficiencies (especially iron and B12), small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), gastritis, leaky gut, and chronic fatigue. 

Candida - There are 17 different strains of Candida, the most common being Candida albicans. This fungal overgrowth is one of the most common bloodstream infections in the United States. Although Candida can be present in many tissues (mouth, vagina) it is especially disruptive in the gut, disrupting normal flora and causing extreme fatigue and brain fog.

These infections are incredibly hard to deal with for several reasons. For one, many people carry the infections, and in some people they cause no problems at all. Second, the infections are hard to test for and find. Third, and probably most important, the infections can hide under something called “biofilms”, which allows them to hide from conventional antibiotics. 

Biofilms

Infections, especially bacterial and fungal infections, live and thrive in colonies. These colonies of bugs can produce a protective layer that they can hide under called a biofilm. This slimy layer of biofilm protects the colony and allows it to grow, move, and exist while being protected from the immune system, stomach acid, and even the most powerful antibiotics. Biofilms can contain one or more strains of bacteria, and can even contain viruses that are sharing the biofilm for protection. 

In my experience, if an underlying infection is not clearing with anti-microbial/anti-fungal herbal remedies, it is important that you address the biofilms. When working with a practitioner it is important that they understand biofilms and how to dissolve them. 

Conclusion

These are not the only causes of fatigue, but clinically I believe they are the Top 8 Causes that need to be considered. Fatigue is very multi-factorial, so it is crucial that you work with a coach or practitioner who understands these causes, understands the proper testing to perform, and understands how to address these causes in the right order. If you get to the root cause, you can absolutely regain your energy and get your life back!

Why we love Young Living essential oils and how to use them!

After YEARS using Young Living products I feel as if they can truly transform your personal care routine as well as replace an incredibly long list of household toxins. I use essential oils many times throughout the day, in many ways, a few of which I will bullet point here.

How did I learn about essential oils and what do I use them for?

For me, it was a very natural progression. When Taylor and I lived in Iowa we decided to take a serious interest in creating a "non toxic" household for ourselves and our future family. I took a serious interest in educating myself on what chemicals were in our everyday products and what those chemicals were doing to our bodies. Chemicals are in EVERYTHING. Shampoo, household cleaners, candles, deodorant,  laundry detergent, etc. The research was honestly horrifying, and we quickly switched to non toxic products. From then (2009) on, our family has tried MANY different brands and products to fill our "non toxic" household needs. It has certainly been a trial and error situation (ask me later about the 30 different deodorants I've dabbled in.) However, changing out our modern day - chemical filled - cancer causing - scent filled products changed my life. I didn't have some of the allergy and skin issues I had experienced for years, and I no longer got headaches, I was hooked.

Along the winding path of organic and natural products I kept running into essential oils. Oils? For what? Why are there so many? I bought a few oils from Whole Foods and began diffusing, A candle replacement! Yay! Diffusing was fun! It made my house smell incredible, and thats when the oil obsession started.

Over time I began using oils for MUCH MORE. Skin care, during pregnancy, for pain, for attitude adjustments, for cleaning products, for infusing water, during yoga, and using in other food recipes. Essential oils became a staple in a variety of ways in my everyday life. Looking back now I laugh, a candle replacement, hah!

I officially got started with Young Living because of the Thieves Essential Oil, and Thieves line of cleaning products specifically. I had been using other brands of essential oils for years and was given samples of Thieves cleaner, AMAZING. I loved the Thieves oil blend so much. I signed up with Young Living and quickly expanded my favorites list to include their makeup. other cleaning products, diffusers, lotions, shampoo, hand soaps, and pretty much everything else I have tried. 

If you do have specific questions about essential oils or a specific Young Living product, please do not hesitate to email us. I don't claim to be an expert on essential oils or Young Living products, but if you have a question, I will either answer or work to find a credible answer anytime. 

Health and Joy, Jamie Krick

Any suggestions made on this blog are very specific to Young Living essential oils and should not be used with oils from another source. Statements made on this website about Young Living Essential Oils have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products and information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Anyone suffering from disease or injury should consult with a physician. If you are currently on medication, please do not stop, and consult your doctor.

Why doesn't your doctor know about autoimmune disease?

Why doesn't your doctor know about autoimmune disease?

Good question - you should ask THEM!

I get asked all the time questions like "why doesn't my doctor know about this?"

I see a lot of complex cases (meaning you have multiple symptoms - anxiety, bloating, fatigue, pain, brain fog) who have had some version of the same experience with the conventional medical field - they have been told "It's anxiety", "It's depression", "Your labs look great", "It's just allergies" (with no testing)... or they've been passed from endocrinology to rheumatology to gastroenterology and still left empty-handed - "We don't see anything wrong. Maybe it's stress." Meanwhile they still have the same symptoms. Unfortunately, our conventional system has very few answers for autoimmune disease outside of biologics like Humira or steroids like Prednisone. 

Autoimmune diseases are affecting 1 in 5 adult Americans. 75% of these are women. It is a leading cause of disability, a leading cost burden on our healthcare system, and a leading cause of death. These include diseases like Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Type 1 Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases (Hashimoto's, Grave's), Celiac Disease, Crohn's Disease, and over 100 more. 

The MS patient sees the neurologist. The RA patient sees the rheumatologist. The Hashimoto's patient sees the endocrinologist, the Celiac patient sees the gastroenterologist. What about those undiagnosed, or with the 100 other autoimmune diseases that aren't mainstream medicine?

Specialists, while very knowledgable in their respective field(s), are generally unaware of the interrelationship between different physiological systems, and generally unaware of advances in fields outside of their specialty. They say a specialist "can quickly become someone who knows more and more about less and less."

The metaphor I like to use is that of a mechanic. Let's say you know someone who has been turning wrenches for 45 years, they know everything about cars. All makes, all models, and they can fix anything. They might even specialize in American muscle cars or German cars.

IF YOU TAKE THEM YOUR ELECTRIC TESLA, THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO FIX IT. 

They might be able to change the tires, they might be able to figure some stuff out, but they are NOT familiar with it and they do NOT know how to fix it. 

And 20 years ago if you told that same mechanic friend that soon there would be an electric car that can smoke a Corvette in a 1/4 mile drag race, they would have laughed in your face, but here we are today. 

20 years ago if you told a medical doctor you would be taking probiotics for IBS, let alone something like depression or allergies they would have told you that you were crazy, that's snake oil, it's quackery, but now the most cutting-edge modern scientific research supports the idea and it is not uncommon practice. Some people will still say that though!

The science is out there, and it isn't "alternative". The science is published in the most prestigious journals like Nature, Science, Clinical Immunology, Nature Reviews, Frontiers. Two of my biggest mentors in the autoimmune disease world (Datis Kharrazian PhD, DC, DHSc; Samuel Yanuck DC, FACFN, FIAMA) are on staff at Harvard and UNC Medical Schools, researching, publishing, and teaching this exact autoimmune disease information to doctors who are willing to go outside of the conventional model to learn it. 

So, if you are wondering why your doctor (or friend, or anyone) doesn't know more about autoimmunity, it's because they haven't chosen to learn about it yet, not because "they don't believe in it". The science is there!

Mind Your Melatonin - 5 Steps to Boost Melatonin and Deep Sleep

Mind Your Melatonin - 5 Steps to Boost Melatonin and Deep Sleep

By Dr. Taylor Krick

If your sleep cycles are disrupted, everything in your life can be disrupted. Your energy is gone, you can’t concentrate, and if this zombie state lasts long enough it can lead to serious disease. One of the most important factors in your sleep cycles is your body’s production of a hormone called melatonin, which is produced at night in a 24-hour cycle called a Circadian Rhythm. For more information, please check out our other articles and watch our webinar “How To Sleep Better.”

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain that is better known as an over-the-counter sleep aid than a powerful antioxidant with cancer-fighting effects. Known as ‘The Darkness Hormone’, melatonin production works on a natural cycle to control your sleep, and when it begins to rise in the evening it tells your body that it’s time to go to bed. If your melatonin production is disrupted, you will be wired at night and won’t be able to fall asleep and your sleep cycles will become even more disrupted. You want to maximize melatonin production AND melatonin sensitivity!

Your body’s sleep cycles are controlled in what is called your Circadian Rhythm, making your body awake and alert in the morning then tired and sleepy in the evening. These daily rhythms are regulated by hormones like cortisol and melatonin. Cortisol, which is released by the adrenal glands, is known for being your body’s main stress hormone. Cortisol should be highest in the morning and gradually fall off as the day goes on. Stress (mental, physical, chemical) throws off cortisol production and can disrupt normal cortisol rhythm, which over time will often cause someone to feel tired in the morning and wired at night, which negatively affects sleep and further compounds the problem. 

Science has now discovered that Circadian Rhythms control much of your physiology, and circadian disruption is a hallmark feature of metabolic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. Over ⅓ of your genes are controlled by circadian mechanisms, and work around these mechanisms won the 2017 Nobel Prize.

Melatonin alone controls over 500 genes in your genome. Melatonin is the hormone that the brain produces to tell the body it is night and time to go to sleep, and it peaks during the night.  As the sun sets and the light becomes orange and then dark, your eyes detect these changes in light (darkness) and begin to tell your body to get tired. The eyes send messages through an area called the Supra Chiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus and then to the pineal gland. The pineal gland then secretes melatonin into the bloodstream, which causes you to become drowsy. 

It’s critical to keep your melatonin production high and your hormone sensitivity high! If anything disrupts melatonin production, your body doesn’t get fully tired and you can’t fall asleep or stay asleep. 

While it can be helpful in the short-term to reset normal rhythms (jet lag as a good example), supplementing with melatonin is not the best long-term answer. What research has found is that taking supplemental melatonin doesn’t necessarily cause your body to stop producing melatonin on its own, but it does affect your hormone sensitivity - meaning your body has to try to produce more and more to have the same effect. The answer is to naturally do everything you can to boost melatonin production while eliminating anything you may be doing to interfere with melatonin. Here are 4 crucial steps to maintain healthy melatonin levels. (#4 is the most important!)

1.) EAT A MELATONIN-BOOSTING DIET

There are many healthy foods which can help maximize melatonin production, but the #1 rule to follow is to EAT REAL FOOD, because processed foods with high sugar content and damaged fats cause inflammation which decreases hormone sensitivity and causes stress on the body, which will then ultimately disrupt hormone cycles like melatonin and cortisol. Eating only real food is step #1. After you are eating a real food diet, then there are some advanced strategies you can try. 

Many foods have natural melatonin content, including orange bell peppers, almonds, raspberries, and goji berries to name a few. One of the best foods to naturally boost melatonin are tart cherries, or tart cherry juice (the tart part is important! Tart cherries have 50x the melatonin that sweet cherries contain).

In a study published in 2012 in the European Journal of Nutrition, researchers supplemented people with tart cherry juice and monitored their circulating blood melatonin along with their sleep duration and quality. The group ingesting the cherry juice (the other group drank a kool-aid placebo) saw significant differences in every metric - time in bed, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency total. They also measured melatonin in the blood and found that the group taking the cherry juice had increased their circulating melatonin!1 (Be careful of spiking blood sugar before bed though!! This would NOT WORK with #5 below….)

The immediate precursor to melatonin is serotonin, the neurotransmitter known most for its effect on the mood (most antidepressants work on serotonin pathways), so another way to boost melatonin is to eat foods rich in serotonin. Many healthy foods including pumpkin seeds, strawberries, and tomatoes can boost serotonin and melatonin circulating blood levels in a single serving. 

Many natural foods contain neurotransmitters - spices, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables -  so the most important thing is to eat a balanced, plant-based real food diet with lots of variety, focusing on bright colors and strong flavors.

2.) EXERCISE EARLY

Exercising regularly helps modulate your body’s cycles such as sleep, stress, and temperature. Although everyone is different, there is research to support that exercising early helps boost melatonin production in the later evening. In this particular study, one group exercised in the morning, one group exercised in the evening, and the control group did not exercise. Melatonin was measured at day 1 and day 6. In this graph, day 1 are the open circles and day 6 are the closed circles. 

You can see the rise from day 1 to day 6 (open to closed circles) the highest in the morning exercise group. 2

Other studies have shown that you don’t need to exercise only in the morning, but at least getting a quick workout in first thing can help reset circadian rhythms, even if you exercise again later in the day. I believe everyone is different and the most important thing is exercising regularly, but these findings could be helpful to someone trying to regulate melatonin and get their sleep cycles back on track. 

3.) KEEP YOUR CORE COLD
Another body cycle that rises and falls throughout the day is your core body temperature, reaching its max during the day and its minimum at night. Thermoregulatory processes have long been shown to initiate sleep, and that is one of the mechanisms of how melatonin makes you sleepy. In fact, studies have demonstrated that when supplemented melatonin during the day (when the body is not naturally producing any) it still has the same temperature-lowering effects.3,4 

Your body’s core temperature should reach its lowest during the night. In fact, abnormally high body core body temperature is associated with insomnia. For this reason, it is crucial that your sleeping environment be cold. Studies suggest a sleeping environment of between 60 and 68 degrees is optimal. 

One thing you can do to manipulate your temperature is take a warm bath 90 minutes before bedtime. This will raise your core body temperature, then when you get out of the bath the drop in body temperature will stimulate sleepiness. Soak in a warm bath of epsom salts, as the Magnesium in epsom salt has also been shown to help aid sleep as well. 

4.) CONTROL YOUR LIGHT EXPOSURE

Controlling the light that your eyes are exposed to is the best way to regulate and stimulate melatonin production.

Melatonin cycles are controlled by light exposure, so being exposed to the wrong wavelengths of light can disrupt melatonin production. In today’s society,-filled with sitting under artificial fluorescent lighting and staring at the screens of our devices all day - our light exposure is not natural and it leads to abnormal decreased melatonin production and disrupted sleep cycles. 

Think about this - during the day the sun is bright, the sky is blue, and your body is designed to be awake. At night the sun sets, which is orange, and night falls, which is completely dark and your body goes to sleep. This is the way your body is designed! 

During the day it is incredibly important to remind your eyes and brain that it is day time. One of the best practices is to watch the sunrise, but that’s not always an option for everyone. At the very least you should try to be exposed to sunlight as early as possible and be exposed as often as possible throughout the day, even if that means looking through a window. The best exposure however  is real daylight hitting your eyes and hitting your skin. 

Artificial light from screens and monitors produces blue light, which tells your body it is daytime and not to produce melatonin. The worst thing for your melatonin production is looking at blue or white light (LED Devices) before bed! These blue wavelengths can be easily blocked by wearing Blue Blocker sunglasses or getting a blue-blocking screen on your phone. This blocks blue light from getting to your eyes while watching TV or looking at a computer. I personally wear blue-blockers nearly every night! 

Even if you are blocking the blue wavelengths, it’s important to turn off electronic devices at least 60 minutes before bed, as they are stimulatory and will keep your brain awake. 

In our house we also have amber wavelength light bulbs in several lamps, and when it is getting time to wind down we turn off the lights, turn off the tv, and turn on the amber lamps.

Once in bed, you want complete and total darkness. Even a dim light or flipping on a lamp will immediately decrease melatonin production.5

5.) PRACTICE INTERMITTENT FASTING (AKA TIME-RESTRICTED FEEDING)

If melatonin is controlled by these 24-hour cellular “clocks” called circadian rhythms, what controls the “clocks”? Light exposure is a big one - the sun tells us it’s day and the lack of light (darkness) tells us it’s night, but another “external cue” is when you EAT. 

Popularly referred to as Intermittent Fasting, Time-Restricted Feeding is a more accurate term, because you don’t need to restrict calories to practice TRF, you just eat during certain times and you don’t eat during certain times. Eating during a certain “window” means that the rest of the day you are “fasting” - if you eat from 10am-6pm you had an 8-hour “eating window” and a 14-hour “fasting window”. Restricting your meals to 6-10 hours of the day can help reset circadian rhythms and boost melatonin and deep, restorative sleep. In fact the team at Oura Ring (watch my Sleep webinar!) has said that blocking blue light at night and stopping eating sooner are THE TWO BIGGEST FACTORS for increasing deep sleep, based on the millions of hours of data they now have on sleep quality!

The action steps are simple - stop eating sooner. If you eat dinner at 7pm, do you have a pre-bed snack? Do you have a nightcap drink? STOP. (The #1 thing that disrupts my sleep on my Oura ring is alcohol consumption) Can you stop eating by 7pm? Can you move dinner to 5pm and be done by 6pm? The key is to eat all of your calories in a specific window, 6, 8, 10 hours and then STOP and see how your sleep changes over time. Watch our Intermittent Fasting or Time-Restricted Feeding Webinar to learn more!

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

If your sleep cycles are disrupted, the answer won’t likely come from any of these interventions alone, but rather a shift in lifestyle combining several of these tools. Putting this all together into one day’s activities could look like this:

• Wake Up Early

• Exercise (even if it’s quick)

• Watch the Sunrise or Look at Sunlight early

• Perform Stress Reduction Techniques during the day

• Eat only REAL FOOD all day

• Get Sunlight Exposure during the day

• Stop Eating Sooner

• Blue Blocking Sunglasses after sunset

• Electronic Devices turned off early

• Warm Bath in Epsom Salts

• Sleep in a Cold, Dark Bedroom

When you begin to combine these strategies, over time your circadian rhythm will regulate itself, but it will take time. Do these things on a regular basis, and try to avoid the things that can disrupt good health like processed foods and too much stress. Melatonin production is a complex network of hormones and cycles, but when your sleep and circadian rhythms are working properly and your body can heal, regenerate, and you have energy and vitality you need throughout the day - everything gets better!

1. Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality.Eur J Nutr. 2012 Dec;51(8):909-16. doi: 10.1007/s00394-011-0263-7. Epub 2011 Oct 30.  Howatson G1, Bell PG, Tallent J, Middleton B, McHugh MP, Ellis J.

2. Morning and evening physical exercise differentially regulate the autonomic nervous system during nocturnal sleep in humans Yujiro Yamanaka, et al; American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology Published 1 November 2015 Vol. 309 no. 9

3. The relationship between insomnia and body temperatures.Sleep Med Rev. 2008 Aug;12(4):307-17. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2008.02.003.  Lack LC1, Gradisar M, Van Someren EJ, Wright HR, Lushington K.

4. Thermoregulatory effects of melatonin in relation to sleepiness Kurt Krauchi et al; Centre for Chronobiology, University Psychiatric Clinics, Basel, Switzerland University Eye Clinic, Basel, Switzerland http://www.chronobiology.ch/wp-content/uploads/publications/2006_07.pdf 

5. Effects of lights of different color temperature on the nocturnal changes in core temperature and melatonin in humans.Appl Human Sci. 1996 Sep;15(5):243-6. Morita T1, Tokura H.

Push The Brakes On Stress With The VAGUS NERVE

The 10th Cranial Nerve, or Vagus Nerve, is the longest cranial nerve and is directly related to nearly every function in the body. Called “The Relaxation Nerve” (as well as “The Wandering Nerve”), it exits from the brainstem and “wanders” throughout the body, establishing a two-way connection between the brain and major organs like the heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, spleen, and the entire digestive tract (gut-brain axis). 

The vagus nerve is involved in many critical functions of the body’s Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) including digestion, breathing, hormone release, and heart rate modulation. The vagus stimulates the body’s Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), also known as the “Rest-and-Digest” Nervous System, which is the opposite of your “Fight-or-Flight” or Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS). 

You can think of the SNS as your body’s “stress response gas pedal”, while the PNS is your body’s “stress response brake pedal”, so stimulating the vagus nerve is like pushing the brake pedal on your body’s stress response. 

When you consider today’s epidemic levels of stress and stress-related chronic diseases, it’s not surprising that the activity of the vagus nerve is proportionally associated with health, wellbeing, relaxation, and even emotions like empathy, while it is negatively associated with poor markers of overall health including morbidity, mortality, and stress.1

The ‘brain-body connection’ goes both ways, so stimulating vagal activity can not only impact vital bodily functions but can impact our brain function drastically as well. Vagal nerve stimulation has been shown to affect many different areas of the brain as viewed by functional MRI (fMRI) and Electroencephalogram (EEG), and is known to increase the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin, norepinephrine, and endogenous opioids, which modulates brain functions such as pain processing, mood control including anxiety and depression, and even impacts neurogenesis, brain plasticity, memory, learning, and cognitive processes.1

In summary, stimulating your Vagus Nerve can decrease your body’s stress response and improve your ‘brain-body connection’, positively affecting BODILY FUNCTIONS through modulation of stress, hormone release, inflammation, digestion, detoxification and metabolism, while simultaneously impacting BRAIN ACTIVITY and affecting functions like mood and the perception of pain by altering the release of neurochemicals.