Can visiting the in-laws at Christmas change your Microbiome (your bacteria in the gut)?

 

Beyond being a festive and holiday season, Christmas also has an environmental factor, both physically and mentally.  Studies have shown that the Christmas season has brought with it changes in the gut microbiota.

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam in 2019 conducted a prospective observational study on 28 healthy volunteers celebrating Christmas. Using 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing, faecal samples were collected between 23rd and 27th December.

In the study, researchers found the changes in the faecal microorganisms in the study subjects over Christmas, particularly those subjects visiting their in-laws.  There was a significant change in the Ruminococcus species of organisms.  Decrease in Ruminococcus species is linked to increased perceptions of stress.  There was also a reduction in microbial diversity in both groups, those who spent Christmas with their family and those who spent Christmas with the in-laws.  Reduction in microbial diversity is associated with increased psychological stress.

The mechanism in which in-laws affect the change in microbiome is still not fully understood.  However, microbiome changes is related to psychological stress and depression, metabolic syndrome and obesity as well as inflammatory bowel disease.

However, changing your perceptions of the festive season could change the microbiome.  If you are feeling the stress of the season because of relatives, think about the people who do not have family to spend Christmas with.  Be grateful for what you have.  Perhaps also, consider changing your focus:  What are your wins this year (health, career, family, relationships, friends, community)?  What are you truly grateful for?  What is definitely worth celebrating this year end?

When you focus on the positives, you produce different chemical messengers in the body, you also grow different microbiome.  You are calmer, make better choices, make kinder remarks and the whole experience could turn out quite different.

 

Sleep Hygiene

Sleep is such an important aspect of health but it is a common area of struggle.  To fall asleep and stay asleep for at about 7-9 hours and wake up refreshed, try implementing these sleep hygiene strategies:

Balancing the metabolism is the long term solution to better vitality, sleep and hormonal balance

 

Metabolism refers to the biochemical process that is used in every cell of the body to breakdown and utilise food and nutrition, oxygenate the organs as well as support growth, detoxification and repair.

A healthy and balanced metabolism is important to achieve and sustain good levels of energy, sleep and weight.  An altered metabolism can often lead to weight gain, inflammation and chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancer.

Our body is like an incredible orchestra with all our organs and physiological processes working together in harmony. When we make poor food choices, have an overload of environmental toxins and face stress and pressure (or perceive stress and urgency), disharmony can occur leading to ill health and poor metabolic balance.

By balancing our metabolism, we are giving our body what it needs to nourish and support our lifestyle and health.

Our blood circulates all around the body into the tiniest capillaries through every cell and organ of the body.  It carries with it information on disease, inflammation and function of organs.  It is one of the many indispensable tools used to evaluate health.

Combining chemistry of your blood markers and your weight, height and body measurements with the chemistry of food, you get the blueprint to help you restore health.  We eat daily, we could consume food that nourishes us and enhances our vitality and health or foods that slowly poison us.

The Metabolic Balance program has complex algorithms that support this analysis and with proper coaching, helps you achieve your best possible health outcome. 

The program is divided into 4 phases:

1.      Preparation

2.      Change phase

3.      Relaxed phase

4.      Maintenance phase

The ultimate objective is to enhance vitality, performance and sleep, support acid/alkaline balance, achieve your desired weight, bring renewed energy and sense of wellness and improve your quality of life.

If you would like to know if Metabolic Balance is the program for you, please email to irene@nutriactionz.co.nz to make an appointment for a 15min discovery call.

Homocysteine: The silent cause of heart disease

We are all too familiar with cholesterol numbers and blood pressure causing heart disease.  The total cholesterol number is not the most useful, knowing the breakdown and ratios in the components, triglycerides, LDL and HDL cholesterol is important.

What we have not heard a lot of is homocysteine.  High homocysteine can lead to hardening of the arteries, blood clots, stroke, heart attack and dementia.  So, what is homocysteine?

Homocysteine is an amino acid. Homocysteine converts into methionine and cysteine, 2 amino acids that we need.  However, in nutrient depleted individuals, the breaking down of this amino acid does not complete raising blood levels of homocysteine.  High homocysteine can damage the lining of the arteries and create blood clots leading to heart attacks and strokes. 

Smoking, regular alcohol consumption, increasing age, kidney disease, autoimmunity are risk factors for high homocysteine.  Not all patients with high homocysteine have symptoms.  This is the danger and can make this a silent killer.  So what symptoms do you need to pay attention to?

•        Tingling sensation in the hands, arms and feet
•        Dizziness
•        Fatigue
•        Recurring mouth or tongue ulcers or sores
•        A general sense of weakness or malaise
•        Pale complexion

Genetic factors, MTHFR gene polymorphism can also be the cause of high homocysteine.  There are many diet and lifestyle factors that influence homocysteine.  Perhaps that is why there is not a ‘drug’ for treating this marker!  In conclusion, homocysteine is an independent heart disease risk factor that is modifiable by nutrition and exercise.

Discuss this with your health care professional and order a blood test to see what your homocysteine levels are if you are concerned.