Brand new research has established that when leptin registers properly in your brain, signifying nutritional adequacy, an energetic gene switch is thrown called TORC1.  TORC1 then activates multiple genes associated WITH robust energy use, including genes that enable a woman to become pregnant (KISS1).  The relationship of leptin problems and infertility has been known since leptin’s discovery in 1994, but this is the first research to plot the specific pathway relating to the problem.

There are two types of leptin deprivation in the brain that could lead to infertility.  One is actual malnutrition and the other is a false state of perceived starvation.  Actual malnutrition is the result of not eating enough food, especially diets that are too low in saturated fat (the current craze among young women).  This causes a low leptin brain state due to actual starvation and your subconscious brain interprets this to mean that you don’t have enough fat calories for a healthy pregnancy or to feed your child after birth.

A false state of perceived starvation is caused by leptin resistance, a problem facing millions of overweight women.  Similar to actual starvation, the leptin signal is not registering properly in your brain.  This is caused by eating meals that are too large, snacking between meals, and/or eating after dinner at night.  In this case a woman may have more than enough fat on hand for a successful pregnancy and nursing, but her subconscious brain doesn’t know it.  Women who are leptin resistant who do become pregnant are at much higher risk for serious pregnancy complications, miscarriage, and premature delivery.

Any woman considering pregnancy should follow the Leptin Diet closely, which includes moderate amounts of saturated fat in your diet.  A failure to do so may result in infertility or pregnancy-related complications.

Thyroid hormone must adjust to the “stress” of temperature changes.  In general, it takes about seven days (the half life of thyroid hormone) to make adjustments.  When temperatures swing up and down then those of the edge of thyroid problems are likely to feel a significant jolt.  This is not imaginary; it either is or isn’t happening.  If it’s happening, the recent temperature drops in Northern states will throw your energy, mood, and immune system into a strained funk.

When temperatures rise and fall and rise again your thyroid has trouble keeping up.  Your mood can feel strained even though it is a beautiful Indian summer fall day.  Fall and spring are often difficult times if you have a struggling thyroid gland. 

Extra nutritional support for your thyroid (Thyroid Helper, Daily Energy Multi and Iosol Iodine) are the basics.  If you are already taking these you may need higher amounts when the temperatures swing down or up.  You may also need extra immune support, such as Super Immune Booster or Activator Plus to help keep your energy up and immune system alert.  Those with fall-related thyroid stress are not only more at risk for poor seasonal mood; their immune systems may not be up to snuff. 

Act proactively; use enough nutrition to keep your energy up and your immune system in good working condition.  You definitely don’t need a bug on top of the metabolic stress.  This situation is easy to handle if you recognize what is happening.

Let me use the example of relationships to illustrate the point.  Each person has a history of various relationships, often with bad memories associated.  Also, the longer two people are together the more stressful times they go through together, creating potentially negative memories.  At any time, especially if either person is stressed out or physically worn down, “old relationship tapes” can start to play.  Such experiences may have contextual problem solving value (the lessons learned), but they may also carry with them highly reactive emotions and inappropriate behavior, along with very poor mood.  It can be like looking at your life through a toxic pair of sunglasses.

How can such old memories be changed so that the problem solving value of the experience can be maintained, yet the highly reactive emotions can be neutralized?  How can you live long term with another and maintain the positive bond as the priority, while lessoning the negative garbage of the past?  No doubt, solving this problem could save a lot of marriages and families, as well as helping those who stick it out to be a lot happier.

The new science shows that it requires an adequate supply of a specific nerve compound called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in order to make the change.  This is actually quite profound.

It means that if you are in a situation or relationship that feels out of control and too stressful you can actually turn this to your advantage.  Of course there are the real issues that still need solution.  All I am talking about is you being able to feel more in control and not accessing a bunch of old trash that is certain to only make matters worse.  I am talking about you being able to maintain a problem solver attitude – the foundation and skill you will need to make any relationship healthy.

The new science says that what you really need is a new supply of BDNF.  If you have that then exposure to the current stimuli can be reprogrammed so that the past memories are nullified, yet left as experience.  The “negative changes” can dissipate or evaporate, never to bother you again.

Adequate BDNF can help you truly restructure your memories and file them more according to your choice.  If you don’t have enough BDNF to do the job, then memories will simply keep playing any time you are reminded of them, especially at times when you are worn down.  Another key sign you have too low a level of BDNF is that your appetite is too large or out of control.  Food cravings = low BDNF.

BDNF is increased by aerobic exercise as well as multiple nutrients like pantethine, DHA, and zinc.  You can tell you are doing better when you feel calmer and more in control of any situation that has previously been hard for you.  While I give relationships as an example, this information applies to any topic and any memory.

Pistachios are not some kind of wonder nut loaded with healthy omega 3 oils.  They don’t possess some superstar nutrient that will be the next blockbuster MLM product.  They are rather mundane and contain a lot of fat, including saturated fat.

In this study, participants were not over eating total calories; they were simply including pistachios and the more the better.  This indicates that fat, in and of itself, is not bad (even saturated fat).  There is a lot of research to show that it is actually fat in conjunction with sugar, both consumed in large and excess amounts, that causes a lot of problems for your health.  However, fat in and of itself is actually needed to stimulate healthy fat and cholesterol metabolism, and this simple study proves the point.

The study also helps prove that a low fat diet is not necessarily heart friendly.

This year’s early deep freeze in northern climates sets the stage for a long and potentially difficult winter. On the eating side, the cold triggers “hibernation metabolism” and the desire to eat more sweet food. This urge is helped along by the holiday season.  Invariably, the lower your energy the more food you will crave.

Additionally, the combination of cold and longer periods of dark causes your body’s internal clock to stress out – otherwise known as the winter blues. Melatonin is the primary hormone that governs your body’s clock. Melatonin does its work at night, synchronizing repair and getting you ready for the next day. During winter months peak levels of melatonin are not produced at the right time of night. Instead, your body can try to keep making more melatonin even after you’ve woken up – all in an effort to reach the “proper level.” This can make your daytime feel like nighttime. It can get so bad it feels like you are dragging a 100 pound lead ball around with you. This is a distinctly different kind of low energy feeling – you just feel as if you are dragging and can’t get in gear.  You will crave sugar to spark your energy (a genetic urge), but eating it produces only a short term benefit before you return to the state of sluggishness (along with weight gain).

Supplemental melatonin can markedly improve this problem.* I recommend Melatonin in 0.5 mg capsules, as this way you can easily control for the exact amount you need. 3 mg capsules can also be used, especially when the higher amount is needed.  many use a combination of the two sizes to get the exact amount that is just right.

Some people take melatonin all year long (usually 0.5 to 1.5 mg per day), as the proper levels of melatonin decline with age. Many individuals past age 40 are lacking around 0.5 mg of melatonin and notice they sleep much better when taking some before bed, even in the summer.* Many other people only need melatonin when it is darker and colder.* In general, the colder and darker it is the higher the dose that is needed. The right dose of melatonin helps you to go to sleep better and wake up feeling more refreshed – as well as not having that dragging feeling during the day. A dose that is too high gives a mild headache or groggy feeling, more or less producing the symptoms that it is supposed to be getting rid of.

Melatonin is normally taken before bed.  Start out with lower amounts and work your way up as needed until you find the right amount for you. The number may change if the temperature drops 20-30 degrees and stays there for a while. A small percentage of people have the symptoms of needing melatonin but it either doesn’t seem to help or doesn’t seem to feel right on any dose. These people should try taking melatonin first thing in the morning. Doing so may signal to the brain that levels are now adequate; the brain stops trying to make more – thus the “sleep hormone” will no longer be produced in the day. 

The energy of the sun is poorly understood by modern science and Western medicine. In fact, the industry of surgery-promoting cosmetic specialists want you to think that being in the sun will kill you unless you have toxic sunscreens on.  The sun’s interaction with your skin produces vitamin D, a nutrient woefully lacking in the winter in northern climates. Vitamin D is vital to calcium metabolism, proper immunity, good mood, and breast or prostate health.* During the winter at least 2,000 IU of vitamin D should be consumed in the form of dietary supplements. This level can be reached by taking our common levels of bone support nutrition (5 Daily Bone Xcel and 3 Bone Helper per day).  We also have 1000 IU of plain vitamin D.

Additionally, the sun also produces photon energy.  Photon energy is stored in cell membranes. Your ability to do so is based on the amount of omega 3 fatty acids in your diet.  For example, along the equator there is plenty of sun and very little omega 3 fatty acids in the food. There is no winter blues. In the north, the traditional Eskimo diet was very high in omega 3 oils all year long (whale blubber and other deep sea fatty fish).  There was no winter blues until Eskimos started eating the omega 3-lacking Western diet.  In the traditional Eskimo diet the high concentration of omega 3 oils in summer months would store up photon energy of the sun adequately to get them through the winter months. This is of course why every person likes a winter vacation in the sun – to get some photon energy back into the brain.

Knowing this information, I routinely tell my clients who I know are prone to the winter blues to increase their essential fatty acid intake during the fall, so as to prepare for the winter.* This would mean taking 6 of our DHA capsules a day or 3 Leptinal capsules per day. Boosting up these essential fatty acids in the winter is also a good idea and will generally help boost mood.*

The fastest way to get photon energy back into your brain in the winter months is with an oil called squalene.* Squalene is an ideal winter-time supplement.  It is the very best product for reducing dry or cracking skin.* A dose for this purpose is 3-6 per day.  It is undesirable to have cracking skin in the winter – as germs can simply march right on in to one’s body.  Squalene is also one of the best supplements to help a person warm up, especially in the extremities.* A person whose hands are always cold or whose extremities react poorly when exposed to cold typically notices dramatic improvement on 3-6 Squalene per day.*

The unique structure of squalene enables it to hold and deliver oxygen and photon energy.* Like an essential fatty acid, squalene has many unsaturated bonds. However, unlike an essential fatty acid, these unsaturated bonds form 3 stable rings of 6 isoprenoid units that are not prone to oxidation.  This means that squalene can carry oxygen and photon energy without being damaged.  This unique “transporter property” of squalene enables it to deliver lacking nutrients vital to brain function.* Not only does squalene help skin and circulation, I have seen it routinely boost mood in the winter months.* The common dose is 3-6 per day.

Many nutrients help your body make energy and any of these can be boosted up in the winter, as needed, to support a better energy level. A better energy level will invariably produce a better mood, since your brain uses energy as a communication molecule to produce neurotransmitters.  The above energetic suggestions are based on the unique stress that colder and darker days pose to your mood and metabolism.* Enjoy the winter!

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I coined the term “holiday sludge” to denote a certain set of symptoms I hear over and over again, year after year.  Your head is tired and somewhat dull, energy is reduced – it is harder to productively get going and keep going, cravings for junky foods are in high gear, there is a concurrent increase in flatulence or other digestive distress, your mood may be struggling, you may feel on the verge of getting sick (or may have become sick), and one look in the mirror tells you something is not right.

Never fear – call your local Roto-Rooter man and whisk the sludge away – before it settles in and you have to do something to correct every single symptom.  That’s right, the feeling of holiday sludge is mostly a plumbing problem and if you do something to change it relatively fast then you can quickly avert getting stuck in a clogged rut the rest of the winter.  Once your system is unclogged you will feel a lot better.

The key here is to increase your fiber intake, the ultimate sludge mop.  I designed Fiber Helper without any sweeteners yet it is easy to mix and use.  I suggest 1 heaping tablespoon of Fiber Helper before breakfast and dinner until you feel completely de-sludged (usually two to three weeks).  Take this extra fiber regardless of how much fiber is already in your diet.  If you are prone to constipation then taking Turkey Rhubarb every day (1-4 at bed) will keep your colon moving along, and the combination of extra Fiber Helper and Turkey Rhubarb is a great colon cleanse routine for anyone.*

As part of sludge removal it is vital to keep your liver and lymph moving, otherwise your blood stream carries too much waste and you will feel tired, irritable, and have dark or puffy circles under your eyes.  Daily Balancer is the best product for liver support and natural blood cleaning (take 3-6 a day to desludge) and Immune Plus is the best single product for moving the lymph system (shoulder pressure, extra mucous or congestion, head pressures/aches).* To help clean out take 1 heaping tsp of Immune Plus at breakfast, lunch, and bed.  Immune Plus also helps support your immune system.*

These higher amounts of nutrients can be maintained indefinitely, if needed, to keep yourself on track.  However, most people just do this for a couple of weeks to recover from a period of time of getting off a better diet – which is common during the holidays.  Then you can use any of the products in smaller amounts, or as needed if you start to slip again.

Winter poses many challenges for health.  You have many options to naturally boost your mood, support your thyroid, tackle weight management, and strengthen immunity.  Keep in mind that any specific health topic is made worse if you have backed up plumbing and too much sludge.

As you gain weight not only do your existing fat cells expand in size, but baby fat cells are called into duty and become mature new fat cells to accommodate storage of extra calories.  If you aren’t overweight then some of your new baby fat cells will become mature, at approximately the same rate at which old fat cells die off.

Until recently nobody knew exactly where your baby fat cells lived.  In a new study clever scientists engineered mice so that baby fat cells would glow green, allowing them to pinpoint their exact location and to follow their development.

The researchers discovered that baby fat cells are an important part of the circulatory system structure within white adipose tissue (your stored fat).  These baby fat cells are actually embedded within the walls of blood vessels.  When you eat too much food, then there are extra calories in your circulation.  Some of these extra calories enter your white adipose tissue circulation.  When your body senses this it rapidly calls baby fat cells into action to store the surplus calories.

This means that if you are already overweight and you eat too much food, you will immediately turn baby fat cells into new adult fat cells, expand your fat cell population inappropriately, and store the extra calories as fat.  This also means that you have to be good almost all the time, in terms of following the Leptin Diet, if you want to lose weight over time.  While an occasional larger meal may not trigger this mechanism, especially if you are active following such a meal, a pattern of several days in a row of larger meals is sure to trigger the growth of new fat cells. 

It is fairly obvious that if you are overweight or have ever been overweight then this mechanism is a weak spot in your metabolism, meaning you don’t have the luxury of testing it very often without encountering weight gain and a progressively fatter waistline.  Thus, take pause and think about it before you eat in response to stress, break down and binge, or simply start eating more than you really should.  Get the imagine in your mind of your baby fat cells lapping up all the food you just consumed and turning themselves into blubber that will be quite difficult to get rid of – and maybe, just maybe, you will eat less on a regular basis.

This new research also opened the door to linking the proper use of oxygen to the body’s 24-hour clock – which is orchestrated by leptin. 

This means that a deficiency of iron within cells will undermine proper metabolism.  Signs of iron deficiency include fatigue, especially muscle fatigue.  Individuals who are iron deficient have trouble improving muscle strength and frequently do not experience the proper benefit from exercise.  This is because iron-containing myoglobulin holds oxygen in muscles.  A lack of iron means a lack of oxygen, so muscles get tired to fast and do not readily build strength from exercise.  Hemoglobin may be in a normal range in the blood yet iron may be lacking in the cells.

Iron bisglycinate is by far the safest and most effective form of iron.

The bottom line is that poor thyroid function, even initial changes away from optimal thyroid health, are directly stressful to your heart via changes that occur in the nerve-heart relationship.  Stress also plays a role in such electrical changes, especially when stress is ongoing for a long period of time and is inducing noticeable wear and tear.  Any person with any form of heart-related symptoms should have adequate nutrition to offset stress and enhance optimal thyroid function – so as to boost cardiovascular fitness.

If you would like to learn more about your heart and its electrical function, including the use of nutrition to maintain optimal health, please consult my Cardiovascular Health Topic section.

Prior to age 65 the sluggish rate of thyroid function decreases the use of cholesterol by cells everywhere in ones body, with a tendency to leave higher amounts of LDL in the blood longer.  Sluggish thyroid is also associated with increased rates of oxidative stress (free radical damage), meaning that the extra LDL is more likely to be damaged and form arterial plaque.

After age 65 it is likely that one’s metabolism is slowing down intentionally, partly as a defense or “self-preservation” mechanism.  This means that one is likely to live longer, once older, if thyroid slows down a bit, as a faster metabolic pace would cause too much wear and tear and actually speed aging.

Thus, thyroid slowing down a bit in the context of aging is normal and thyroid slowing down before age 65 is abnormal and likely to be associated with increased heart disease.