Calorie Deficit and Low Calorie Snack Ideas
…low-calorie diets and calorie deficits are a surefire way to ensure you slow your metabolism over time and destroy your relationship with food, and view your body as a threat.
Food is a main source of nourishment for humans, and when you begin labeling it as good or bad, and disregard your body’s queues for hunger (or other symptoms and signs), food becomes a threat and source of anxiety.
Put differently, calorie deficits and low-calorie diets are harmful to mental health, deprive your body of nutrients, and do not address the underlying root-causes of symptoms.
Is calorie deficit really the best way to lose weight?
The short answer is no.
In fact, low-calorie diets and calorie deficits are a surefire way to ensure you slow your metabolism over time and destroy your relationship with food, and view your body as a threat.
Food is a main source of nourishment for humans, and when you begin labeling it as good or bad, and disregard your body’s queues for hunger (or other symptoms and signs), food becomes a threat and source of anxiety.
Put differently, calorie deficits and low-calorie diets are harmful to mental health, deprive your body of nutrients, and do not address the underlying root-causes of symptoms.
Hi friends. I’m Hilary Beckwith, ex-dieter and holistic nutrition expert. Clients come to see me with signs of adrenal stress and inflammatory conditions, and my job is to find the root causes so we can address their symptoms more effectively, and fill in the gaps between what their doctor is saying, and what their body is saying.
Weight management is commonly listed on my clients’ list of health concerns or goals, but as a holistic practitioner, we focus on non-scale victories, although most begin to shed weight after addressing root causes.
In this article, you’ll learn:
why calories in vs. calories out isn’t working for you
harmful effects of dieting
how to know if you’re eating enough calories
reasons for weight gain that do not involve calories
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calories in vs. calories out
For decades, we’ve heard you must burn more calories than you eat in order to lose weight. And as much as I hate to say that is technically true, it’s not as simple as making sure the number on your Pelaton screen is higher than the number on your calorie deficit calculator.
Here’s why.
First off, your body burns calories in ways that you do not have control over, and are not easy to measure. Additionally, your body preserves calories during chronic stress. The complexity of calculating if what you are consuming is less than what your body is burning or holding onto is far too dependent on each individual for calorie deficit techniques to work in most people.
Here are some things to consider before you download a calorie deficit calculator:
calorie restriction slows metabolism over time (1, 2) - The human body is great at adapting! Research shows that the body adapts to long-term calorie restriction, rapid weight loss, and frequent high-intensity workouts, by significantly decreasing RMR (resting metabolic rate).
weight gain and weight loss are modulated by hormones, not calories (3, 4) - hormones that modulate hunger and satiety (ghrelin and leptin, respectively) have an impact on what and when you eat, but more importantly, studies have shown that the main hormone involved in metabolism, insulin, is a driver of belly weight gain, and is further affected by cortisol levels (another hormone).
Put differently, stress, sleep, and blood sugar handling have far more to do with weight gain and weight loss than calories.
the liver is responsible for clearing excess hormones - the liver is responsible for finding and neutralizing toxins for elimination. In addition to many other types of toxins, excess hormones are considered toxins that must be cleared from the body so as not to cause imbalance. If your liver is congested, produces poor-quality bile, or is struggling with detoxification efforts, your body is holding on to toxins, which are stored in fat tissue, and your body will make more fat tissue to accommodate that storage need. Supporting your liver is essential to weight loss attempts.
harmful effects of using calorie deficit calculators for weight loss
The harmful, long-term impacts of dieting are what should concern you most about tracking calories. But as humans, we tend to react the most strongly when a strong emotion is attached, as is often the case with your body.
Feelings of inadequacy, brokenness, and above all, fear, are all common reasons we turn to dieting. Those are all real emotions and should be approached with gentleness, compassion, and curiosity, not deprivation.
COMMON REASONS FOR DIETING:
you’re afraid of others seeing you as unhealthy or ugly
you judge yourself for how you look in photos and in the mirror
you’re afraid that gaining weight means you are unhealthy or have done something wrong
you or others have placed a responsibility on you to be and stay attractive to your partner (as in high-control religion)
you’ve been told by years of reality television, magazines, social media, and pornography, that thin is beautiful (and fat is not)
you’ve learned from growing up in a home that negatively talked about food or bodies, that food is and enemy or a problem to be resolved
HARMFUL EFFECTS OF DIETING AND CALORIE DEFICIT
metabolism slows with calorie restriction
chronic stress due to self-judgement
loss of intuition, ignoring hunger signals, and signs of dysfunction
judgment of others - the belief that certain foods are inherently “good” or “bad” causes us to inevitably judge others as well as ourselves
negative self-talk activates the Sympathetic Nervous System and is a threat to the brain
over-exercising is a form of stress
carbs have fewer calories than protein or fat - low-calorie snacks and low-calorie foods are generally higher in carbohydrates, contributing to insulin resistance and further impacting your ability to lose weight
signs you’re not eating enough calories
you feel peck-ish or hungry at the end of the day
it becomes more difficult to lose weight
you feel cold easily
your periods are changing
constipation
increased anxiety or depression symptoms (or both)
non-calorie causes for weight gain
As we discussed earlier in the article, calorie deficits are not effective for weight loss for many people, but especially perimenopausal women, because too many other factors are at play.
Addressing hormone imbalance, chronic stress, blood sugar levels, and liver health is essential, and should be a priority over calorie deficit calculators, when trying to lose weight.
HERE ARE SOME NON-CALORIE CAUSES OF WEIGHT GAIN:
UNADDRESSED GUT PATHOGENS - Common pathogens that infiltrate the gut include candida albicans, parasites, overgrown bacteria, helicobacter pylori, and mold toxins. These pathogens and stimulate a chronic stress response that negatively impacts hormone balance, in addition to leaving behind toxic byproducts that further instigate a stress response and overwork the liver.
CHRONIC EXTERNAL STRESS - Having a highly stressful and busy life is not what our bodies were meant to do. Your body has not yet evolved to understand the difference between the danger of a tiger or lion, and the stress from trying to meet a work deadline. According to your brain, it’s all tigers. And not evaluating and addressing external stressors is causing harm to your health and preventing you from meeting your weight loss goals. YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE:
when, what, and how you eat
who you spend your time with
whether or not you say ‘no’ or communicate boundaries
whether or not you seek help for past traumas, anxiety, or depression
how you approach sleep
LIVER HEALTH - The liver takes on a lot, and it is heavily impacted by the toxins you take in with food, medications, drugs, air, and water. But it is also impacted by blood sugar levels. The liver is responsible for dealing with your roller-coaster energy levels all day, by converting glucose into fat, and fat into glucose (read more about it here). This constant conversion throughout the day causes fatty liver deposits that impair your liver’s ability to neutralize and clear toxins, even excess hormones!
BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS - Regulating blood sugar levels is more than eating several small meals a day (I would argue that if you are getting enough protein, fat, and veg, you would not need to eat several small meals a day to regulate blood sugar levels). Blood sugar levels are modulated by the adrenal glands (your stress responders) and in doing so, stimulate the Sympathetic Nervous response (fight or flight). Those who eat a vegetarian or vegan diet, eat a lot of processed foods (even foods marketed as “healthy” can be heavily processed), or track calories, are more susceptible to insulin resistance issues, and will have trouble with weight loss, sleep, and anxiety.
TOXIC OVERLOAD - Toxins come from many different sources, including processed foods, medications, recreational drugs, air, water, pesticides, and the byproducts of pathogens that get into the gut. Toxins that cannot be eliminated due to poor hydration, constipation, or inactivity, will get reabsorbed into the body. And toxins love fat - many of them have an affinity for fat tissue, and in order to create enough storage for your toxic load, your body will create or hold onto fat tissue.
IMBALANCED HORMONES - I’m not just talking about periods or PMS symptoms. Hormones aren’t only for reproduction. They modulate stress, sleep, hunger, periods, blood sugar, and digestion. When liver and adrenal health are struggling, hormones will become out of balance, and when left unaddressed, the problem just gets worse.
so, what?
Wipe your tears, friend. Your body is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do, and the scale numbers are telling you that.
But before you download that calorie deficit calculator app, let’s figure out what the REAL cause of your weight gain is, so you can feel good about food, and your body again.
was this helpful?
Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!
NUTRITION SERVICES
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
BLOG REFERENCES
Knuth ND;Johannsen DL;Tamboli RA;Marks-Shulman PA;Huizenga R;Chen KY;Abumrad NN;Ravussin E;Hall KD; (n.d.-b). Metabolic adaptation following massive weight loss is related to the degree of energy imbalance and changes in circulating leptin. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25236175/
Johannsen, D. L., Knuth, N. D., Huizenga, R., Rood, J. C., Ravussin, E., & Hall, K. D. (2012, July). Metabolic slowing with massive weight loss despite preservation of fat-free mass. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3387402/#:~:text=Despite%20relative%20preservation%20of%20FFM,or%20caloric%20restriction%20are%20maintained.
Ludwig, D. S., & Ebbeling, C. B. (2018, August 1). The carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity: Beyond “Calories in, calories out.” JAMA internal medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6082688/#:~:text=Insulin%20injection%20into%20the%20central,hunger%20and%20causes%20weight%20gain.
Janssen J. A. M. J. L. (2022). New Insights into the Role of Insulin and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis in the Metabolic Syndrome. International journal of molecular sciences, 23(15), 8178. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23158178
Conditions Associated with Candida Growth | Candida Symptoms | Yeast Infection Symptoms | Nail Fungus Treatment
Candida is a parasitic yeast that can live on your skin, in your mouth, and in your intestines (1). Commonly known as candida albicans, this structure is commonly present in small amounts in most humans, but when it becomes out of balance with other microbiota in the gut, that’s when the trouble begins.
Candida albicans implants itself with a root-like structure into cells and tissues, including your digestive tract. They use tail-like protrusions called flagella to wave around and leech nutrients from the foods you consume, leaving you more hungry, and making you susceptible to blood sugar issues like insulin resistance and hypoglycemia.
This implantation technique enables them to evade the immune system and makes it more difficult to see using some lab testing techniques.
It is also the reason candida will not go away with a simple diet change. Specific and meticulous strategies under the care of a qualified practitioner are essential to totally eradicating candida symptoms, and rebuilding the microbiota.
What is candida?
Candida is a parasitic yeast that can live on your skin, in your mouth, and in your intestines (1). Commonly known as candida albicans, this structure is commonly present in small amounts in most humans, but when it becomes out of balance with other microbiota in the gut, that’s when the trouble begins.
Candida albicans implants itself with a root-like structure into cells and tissues, including your digestive tract. They use tail-like protrusions called flagella to wave around and leech nutrients from the foods you consume, leaving you feeling more hungry, and making you susceptible to blood sugar issues like insulin resistance and hypoglycemia.
This implantation technique enables them to evade the immune system and makes it more difficult to see using some lab testing techniques. It also causes damage to the tissue itself, causing inflammation and conditions like leaky gut syndrome.
It is also the reason candida will not go away with a simple diet change. Specific and meticulous strategies under the care of a qualified practitioner are essential to totally eradicating candida symptoms, and rebuilding the microbiota.
candida symptoms
Candida overgrowth and other pathogenic infections, such as parasites and bacteria, are commonly overlooked when patients complain to their doctors about symptoms like:
brain fog
bloating
constipation
frequent hunger
sugar or carb cravings
poor stress management
eczema
acne
depression or anxiety symptoms
blood sugar management issues (irritability, headache, or shaky when hungry)
chronic nail fungus on fingernails or toenails
chronic vaginal yeast infection symptoms
chronic thrush, or yeast infection symptoms in the mouth
difficulty losing weight
weight gain around the belly and hips
signs of insulin resistance
Many of these candida symptoms are often treated topically if a skin condition or are told to cut out gluten or eat fewer sugars or carbs. Doing these things might be helpful, but…
Imagine the relief you would get if your doctor tested for the root cause!
I’ve seen many of my own clients clear their acne, resolve chronic fungal infections, improve their mood, lose weight, and reduce blood sugar symptoms and food cravings, all by testing for and addressing candida overgrowth.
cell danger response
A moderate overgrowth of candida will commonly result in many of the candida symptoms mentioned above. And if it’s caught early enough, candida symptoms can improve within just a few months.
But as with any pathogen that infiltrates your body and the threat goes unaddressed, your cells respond to this threat through what’s known as the Cell Danger Response (2).
HERE’S WHAT HAPPENS DURING CELL DANGER RESPONSE (CDR):
Mitochondria (the powerhouse of cells) begin by producing more fuel and releasing metabolic intermediates, like oxygen and reactive oxygen species.
When this does not resolve the threat, energy production begins to shut down in order to preserve energy. Digestion is also disturbed as it is non-essential to dealing with the pathogen, and your fatigue increases.
Cell membranes (also known as cell walls) stiffen, preventing nutrients from transferring in and out of cells for energy production.
Mitochondria release antiviral and antimicrobial chemicals into the fluid surrounding the cells.
Sends chemical signals to warn neighboring cells, and signal for help from immune cells such as eicosanoids and cytokines.
The Sympathetic Nervous System (“fight or flight” response) is kicked on until the threat is resolved. If candida goes unnoticed or undiagnosed, your “fight or flight” response will be in ON-mode indefinitely.
When the Cell Danger Response is ongoing, the chronic inflammation that results leads to more serious chronic illnesses.
conditions associated with candida overgrowth
When candida gets overlooked, and therefore becomes a chronic threat to the body, the Cell Danger Response kicks in. When that happens, and the threat still is not resolved, this leads to chronic inflammation.
This chronic inflammation and heightened fight or flight response can lead to more serious chronic diseases and disorders. On the same token, unaddressed pathogenic infections like candida, can inhibit the success of treatments for such diseases and disorders.
Here are some conditions in which candida may be a factor:
schizophrenia
Alzheimer’s
fibromyalgia
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
HIV infection
colitis
depression
PMS
vaginal yeast infection
Multiple Sclerosis
Interstitial Cystitis
seizures
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Cancer
treatment for candida overgrowth
As discussed earlier, treatment for candida overgrowth is not often as simple as special diets and probiotics.
Effective treatment for candida symptoms involves:
Functional Lab Testing - to determine how severe the infection is, whether it is localized to the gut or is systemic throughout the body, and whether other pathogens might be a priority. Click here to explore testing options.
Medications and/or High-Potency Anti-Fungal Nutrients to kill off the pathogens
Digestion Support and Monitoring - Chances are candida rooted itself because your digestive health is (or was) compromised. Addressing digestion is one of the first and most important steps to eradicating any pathogen.
Dietary Changes - A diet conducive to starving candida and other pathogens (not you!) is essential to preventing them from re-establishing as you work to kill them off. HERE’S A SAMPLE MENU FROM MY CANDIDA ELIMINATION PLAN
Biofilm Disrupters - Candida and other pathogens (including “good” bacteria") will create a sticky home for themselves to live, evade the immune system, and collect nutrients to live off of, called biofilm. Nutrients to destroy the biofilm is essential to ensuring no candida gets left behind.
Binders - When pathogens die, they leave behind debris, which need to be eliminated. Different types of binders are needed for different types of pathogens.
Liver Support - Pathogens produce a number of harmful and toxic metabolites. The liver plays a role in this by finding and preparing these toxins for elimination. Working with a practitioner to ensure your liver is functioning well is important to this process.
Gut Rebuilding Factors - Antifungals and antimicrobials will kill everything, even the good stuff. But we need a healthy balance of good bacteria as the first line of defense for pathogens like candida, so rebuilding the microbiome is arguably the most important part of this process. A personalized concoction of high-potency probiotics, prebiotics, as well as nutrients to re-establish gut lining, should be used.
think you might have candida?
This 5-minute questionnaire will help you figure out whether candida might be the cause of your symptoms.
NUTRITION SERVICES
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
BLOG REFERENCES
professional, C. C. medical. (n.d.). Candida albicans: Infections, symptoms & treatments. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22961-candida-albicans
Naviaux, R. K. (2013, August 24). Metabolic features of the Cell Danger Response. Mitochondrion. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1567724913002390
Holistic Nutrition - What Does it Look Like to Work with a Seattle Nutritionist?
When it comes to health and wellbeing, the conventional approach often focuses on treating symptoms, which can result in temporary relief without providing a lasting solution for overall health. In contrast, Holistic Nutrition offers a more comprehensive and transformative pathway, delving into the underlying causes of illness to facilitate true healing.
The Transformative Power of Holistic Nutrition
WRITTEN BY PETRA BRUNNBAUER AT THEJORNI.COM
When it comes to health and wellbeing, the conventional approach often focuses on treating symptoms, which can result in temporary relief without providing a lasting solution for overall health. In contrast, Holistic Nutrition offers a more comprehensive and transformative pathway, delving into the underlying causes of illness to facilitate true healing.
This method is especially beneficial for addressing complex conditions like PCOS and inflammation, where treating only the symptoms can overlook significant underlying issues. Holistic Nutrition places importance on the mind-body connection, recognizing that our mental and emotional states can have a significant impact on our physical health. By focusing on the interconnectedness of our physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing, it provides a more rounded and effective pathway to lasting wellness.
As we navigate the facets of Holistic Nutrition, we'll see how personalized care and a deep understanding of the mind-body connection can lead to profound and sustainable improvements in health. This isn't merely an addition to conventional healthcare; it's a transformative shift in how we understand and achieve true vitality and wellbeing.
a journey of suffering to healing
Hilary Beckwith is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner who has lived through the healthcare system's limitations. With a long health history that included PCOS, infertility, and chronic pain, Hilary spent years seeking answers. However, she was met with inadequate solutions and a lack of understanding about the root causes of her conditions.
Tired of band-aid fixes, Hilary took her health into her own hands. She launched an extensive research journey to understand her body's needs, which led her to become a Board Certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. After two decades of working in Physical Medicine and counseling chronic pain patients, she founded Well Roots in 2021. Her mission is to help individuals break the cycle of dieting and find long-term relief from their symptoms.
fundamentals of holistic nutrition
Holistic Nutrition serves as a multidimensional approach to health, aiming to create a state of balance and vitality by addressing the whole person. This is not just about food; it's about creating a lifestyle that encompasses complete wellbeing. Let's delve deeper into the three key fundamentals that underpin this approach: personalized care, the mind-body connection, and going beyond symptoms to address root causes.
Personalized Care
The cornerstone of Holistic Nutrition is personalized care. This is based on the principle that each individual is unique, with specific health needs and challenges. In this approach, a personalized nutrition plan is crafted by taking into account various factors such as one's medical history, lifestyle, and even emotional wellbeing. This tailored method aims to get to the core of the imbalances, offering solutions that are not just one-size-fits-all but designed to create lasting change in overall health and wellbeing.
Mind-Body Connection
Understanding the mind-body connection is another crucial component in the holistic approach to nutrition. This is rooted in the belief that our mental and emotional state can have a direct impact on physical health. Stress, anxiety, and other psychological factors can manifest as physical symptoms, ranging from digestive issues to chronic pain. Holistic Nutrition considers these emotional and mental aspects as part of the bigger picture in achieving overall health.
Beyond Symptoms
Conventional medicine often takes a symptomatic approach, focusing on alleviating visible or felt symptoms. Holistic Nutrition, on the other hand, seeks to address the root causes behind these symptoms. Conditions like PCOS and inflammation often involve underlying imbalances that need to be addressed for sustainable healing. This could mean identifying nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, or even lifestyle factors like sleep and stress that contribute to the condition.
The Role of Sustainable Practices
Holistic Nutrition also pays attention to the sustainability of the practices being recommended. This includes advocating for organic produce, sustainably-sourced proteins, and mindful eating practices. The idea is that a healthier planet contributes to individual wellbeing, and sustainable practices create a virtuous cycle that benefits both the individual and the world at large.
By embracing the fundamentals of Holistic Nutrition, we open the door to a more nuanced and effective way to achieve lasting wellness. This is about empowering each individual with the knowledge and tools to take charge of their health in a comprehensive way. The objective is not just to live free of disease but to thrive in a state of physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
the role of lifestyle choices in holistic nutrition
Our everyday choices, from the foods we eat to the amount of sleep we get, have a tremendous impact on our overall wellbeing. Holistic Nutrition views these lifestyle elements as crucial components of health that often get overlooked in conventional healthcare settings.
The Importance of Sleep
Sleep is a foundational pillar of health that directly affects our metabolic, emotional, and cognitive functions. Poor sleep can exacerbate conditions like PCOS and inflammation by disrupting hormonal balance and contributing to stress. Holistic Nutrition incorporates sleep quality into its comprehensive wellness plan, recognizing that a good night's sleep can significantly contribute to healing and balance.
Exercise and Physical Activity
Physical activity plays an integral role in Holistic Nutrition. Depending on an individual's condition, a specific type of exercise may be recommended. For example, someone dealing with chronic inflammation might benefit from low-impact exercises that don't exacerbate their symptoms. This customized approach ensures that the exercise regimen aligns with the individual's unique health requirements, thereby contributing to holistic wellness.
Stress Management
We often underestimate the negative effects that chronic stress can have on our health. Holistic Nutrition advocates for the inclusion of stress management techniques, such as mindfulness and meditation, into our daily routine. By actively managing stress, we can mitigate its detrimental effects on conditions like PCOS and inflammation.
Lifestyle choices are not secondary considerations but essential elements in achieving holistic wellness. By consciously making better choices in areas like sleep, exercise, eating habits, and stress management, we can significantly impact our health for the better. This holistic viewpoint embraces the complexity of human health, allowing for a more nuanced and effective approach to wellness that is tailored to each individual's needs.
the deep dive: PCOS and inflammation
When it comes to addressing specific conditions like PCOS and inflammation, traditional healthcare often resorts to treating surface-level symptoms rather than exploring the root causes. This strategy usually leads to a cycle of temporary relief followed by the recurrence of symptoms, resulting in chronic conditions and diminished quality of life. Holistic Nutrition provides an alternative paradigm, one that treats the individual as a whole and aims for sustainable wellness by addressing the underlying imbalances. To understand this better, let's examine why traditional approaches fall short, how a holistic perspective differs, and the elements that contribute to long-term wellbeing.
Why Traditional Approaches Fall Short
The conventional methods for treating conditions like PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and inflammation often focus on symptom management. This might involve prescribing medications such as hormonal contraceptives for PCOS or anti-inflammatory drugs for chronic inflammation. While these treatments can provide immediate relief, they rarely tackle the root causes behind the symptoms. As a result, the individual may find themselves in a never-ending loop of medication dependency and symptom resurgence.
The Incomplete Puzzle
Many traditional approaches fail to consider the crucial role that nutrition plays in conditions like PCOS and inflammation. Diet can either exacerbate or alleviate symptoms, yet it's often overlooked in favor of a pharmaceutical approach. This omission leaves an incomplete puzzle that fails to lead to genuine healing.
The Holistic Approach to PCOS and Inflammation
Holistic Nutrition offers a more comprehensive pathway for managing PCOS and inflammation. It goes beyond the symptomatic treatment and aims to uncover and address the underlying issues. This involves a personalized plan that may include not only dietary changes but also lifestyle modifications, such as exercise and stress management techniques. Each recommendation is tailored to the individual's unique constitution, lifestyle, and specific health challenges, aiming for a balanced approach that treats the body as a complex, interconnected system.
Mindfulness and Emotional Health
Emotional and mental wellbeing are often underemphasized in conventional treatments for PCOS and inflammation. A holistic approach recognizes the significance of stress management and emotional health in alleviating these conditions. Techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, and emotional regulation strategies can play an essential role in the holistic treatment plan.
Achieving Sustainable Wellness
The ultimate goal of Holistic Nutrition is not just symptom alleviation but achieving a state of sustainable wellness. This involves a multi-faceted strategy that considers various aspects of an individual's life, from food and exercise to sleep and emotional wellbeing. By providing the tools and knowledge to make informed choices, this approach empowers us to take control of our health, leading to meaningful, long-lasting changes.
Understanding the intricacies of conditions like PCOS and inflammation through the lens of Holistic Nutrition allows us to break free from the cycle of temporary fixes. It equips us with a more comprehensive toolkit for managing our health, aiming for a balanced state where the mind, body, and emotions function in harmonious synchrony. This is not merely about symptom relief; it's about reclaiming your life and living it to its fullest potential.
the takeaway
Understanding the nuances of Holistic Nutrition is more than an academic exercise; it's a path to reclaiming control over our own health and wellbeing. This knowledge enables us to be proactive, rather than reactive, in our healthcare journey. We're not just following doctor's orders or popping pills to mask symptoms. Instead, we're engaging in a dialogue with our own body, understanding its unique needs and imbalances, and choosing a lifestyle that supports our long-term health goals.
More importantly, the personalized and comprehensive nature of Holistic Nutrition aligns perfectly with the complex, interconnected beings that we are. This approach understands that we can't separate emotional health from physical health or isolate one symptom from the whole body. Therefore, investing time and energy into understanding this holistic approach can bring a much-needed paradigm shift. It empowers us to break free from a one-size-fits-all model of healthcare and discover approaches and practices that resonate with our individual circumstances.
By embracing Holistic Nutrition, we're not just opting for a complementary form of healthcare; we're making a life-altering decision to be in tune with our body and mind. This alignment fosters not only the alleviation of symptoms but also promotes a more fulfilled and enriching life. Because ultimately, isn't the goal to live not just longer, but better?
Holistic Nutrition provides us with the tools and insights to do just that.
what’s your story?
What is your experience with Holistic Nutrition? What is your experience with PCOS?
How did it coincide with traditional medicine? Did your providers work together to get you the best outcome?
Share your experiences in the comments below.👇
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Why I Don’t Recommend Vegetarian Diet for my Clients | Vegan Protein Powder | Plant-Based Diet
As a holistic nutrition expert, I get asked about vegetarian eating often, and whether or not I recommend it.
So I’m here to offer my opinions based on the knowledge I have of the human body.
Why I Don’t Recommend a Vegetarian Diet
Hold on a second…
If you’ve already made a decision about what this article is going to say about vegetarian eating and vegan diets, I invite you to take a step back and check your assumptions at the door.
I’m going to turn some heads with this article, I am certain of that.
But first and foremost I ask you to please keep in mind that this is a complex subject with many strong points on either side.
I’m not here to argue which is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’.
Nor am I going to stick rigidly to this recommendation if a client’s body is clearly calling out for a vegetarian food diet.
As a holistic nutrition expert, I get asked about vegetarian eating often, and whether or not I recommend it.
So I’m here to offer my opinions based on the knowledge I have of the human body.
what’s really important?
Whether you’re new here, or have followed my work for some time, please know that I believe the following statement is more foundational to health than anything I else I will cover in this article:
A person’s bio-individuality is the most important consideration when addressing health in a sustainable way.
One’s food experiences, genetic factors, digestive health, toxic load, and immune health, all come together to inform how each body handles what is put in front of it.
For this reason, I do not advocate for any one diet over another, 100% of the time.
follow your gut
Let’s first acknowledge that there are many reasons for eating vegetarian food or a vegan diet, that have nothing to do with your health or bio-individual needs.
You get to consider those factors and decide for yourself what’s right for you and your family. I’m not here to argue against that.
I’m going to share what I know to be true from a nutritional standpoint.
What I hope you’ll take from this article is that it’s important to make an informed decision.
Before you opt into a health claim, do your research, and equally important, listen to your body.
3 reasons I do not recommend a vegetarian diet for my clients
GUT HEALTH
The production of stomach acid, the mucosal lining of the intestines, and a process known as the Migrating Motor Complex are all important factors in fighting off gut pathogens like bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), candida (a type of yeast) overgrowth, mold, and parasites.
Macronutrient Imbalance
Macronutrients include carbohydrates (starches, sugars, fiber), fats, and proteins.
Vegetarian food is commonly higher in carbohydrates, relative to fats and proteins. This is especially true in vegan protein powders and vegan meat substitutes.
This imbalance creates a prime feeding ground for these pathogens.
Think of how yeast feeds off sugar in order to ferment and make wine or bread. Similarly, when these pathogens make their way into our gut (as they commonly do), they will feed off of carbohydrates, create stronger structures to hide in (called biofilm), and outnumber the “good” bugs in our gut.
When these pathogens become out of control, this leads to chronic adrenal stress (fatigue, poor stress handling), increased inflammation, skin conditions like acne and eczema, autoimmune disease, and disruption to neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.
Migrating Motor Complex
The Migrating Motor Complex (MMC) is a mechanism our intestines use to help “sweep” out unwanted pathogens.
In a fasted state, when the small intestine is nearly empty of food, a hormone called motilin is released, triggering smooth muscle contractions of the intestines to begin moving any contents of the intestines, out. During this process, digestive enzymes are also released to help break down anything larger.
The MMC cannot be triggered when we are constantly “grazing” or snacking.
Here’s Where the Roads Cross
Proteins and fats are known to help us feel more full for longer periods of time. They are more calorie-dense, meaning we don’t need to eat as much to feel satiated, allowing mechanisms like the MMC to go to work, while simultaneously choosing foods that do not feed unwanted pathogens in the gut.
The Takeway
To support optimal gut health, it is important to eat a diet well balanced with quality proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. It can be very difficult to find this balance in a strictly vegetarian or vegan diet.
Since gut health is often compromised in the clients I work with, a vegetarian diet is not conducive to their healing.
BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS
For the same foundational reasons vegetarian food is not conducive to gut health, it can also be harmful to blood sugar levels.
What is Blood Sugar?
The term “blood sugar” refers to the amount of glucose (the smallest form of sugar, used in the production of energy called Adenosine TriPhosphate, or ATP) floating freely in the blood.
All carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, not just sweets. Even protein and fats can be converted into glucose when the body has good metabolic flexibility.
Here’s the short version of how blood sugar works (read a more in-depth explanation here):
When we eat, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and enter the blood (“blood sugar”)
A hormone called insulin is released from the pancreas, which acts as sort of a key to unlock the door into cells, shuttling the glucose into cells, where it will be used to make ATP.
Once the cells have had their fill of glucose, what’s left in the blood gets converted by the liver into glycogen (storage form of glucose in the liver).
When the liver’s stores are full, what’s remaining gets converted into triglycerides and stored as fat (no limit of storage in fat tissue). This is why triglycerides are often monitored in those with diabetes.
After some time of fasting, the brain recognizes there is no more glucose to create energy, and goes into stress response. The adrenal glands release cortisol and norepinephrine, which stimulate the breakdown of stored glucose to be put into the blood, and hormones are released to stimulate hunger.
In someone with poor blood sugar handling (poor insulin sensitivity, adrenal dysfunction, or a diet higher in carbohydrates), this commonly occurs every 1-3 hours, and manifests as “hangry” - shaky, fatigue, irritability, ravenous.
In someone with optimal sugar handling ability, this likely happens closer to 4-5 hours, with no “hangry” symptoms.
Refined carbohydrates (anything broken down from its whole form - flours, white rice, fruit syrups, flavored syrups, sugars, starches, etc.) break down into glucose much more rapidly than whole food carbohydrates, causing a more sudden “spike” in blood sugar, and thus, a more drastic “fall”.
Proteins and fats (and fiber associated with whole foods) help slow the breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose, stabilizing blood sugar levels throughout the day.
Eating a diet higher in carbohydrates, over time, will cause symptoms like:
insulin resistance (if insulin is a key that unlocks the cell door to allow glucose in, think of insulin resistance as though the cell changed the locks, and the key no longer works. This stresses the pancreas to produce more insulin, the adrenals because cells are not getting the glucose they need, and the liver, because it has more glucose to convert into stored forms)
diabetes
adrenal dysfunction
poor energy
reliance on caffeine and sugar for energy
poor sleep
weight gain
The Takeaway
If vegetarian food is generally higher in carbohydrates as compared to proteins and fats, this puts a person at risk for long term health concerns. Unless one is very intentional about choosing whole foods and prioritizing fats and proteins, a vegetarian diet is not conducive to supporting blood sugar levels.
HORMONE HEALTH
Here’s where the rubber meets the road.
Hormones are chemical messengers produced by various glands in the body, to be released in response to a stimulant. It’s part of a much larger and more complex communication system, and is regulated by feedback systems collectively called homeostasis.
Hormones are used in a wide variety of systems - reproductive health, stress handling, bone health, skin health, and energy production, to name just a few.
Hormones come and go in the body, and are either converted to other chemicals, or prepared for elimination from the body by way of the liver, kidneys, feces, urine, and sweat.
Too much of any hormone, in and of itself, is generally considered a toxin and causes imbalance in other hormones as the body tries to deal with it.
To learn more about the long term effects of these types of stressors, read this article.
In relation to our topic here, when there is additional stress on the liver, the pancreas, and the adrenal glands as we’ve discussed earlier in the post, hormones will also become a toxic burden, adding to the stress on these organs, and will contribute to a chronic stress response.
Reproductive health, digestive health, blood sugar handling, thyroid health - all of these systems will begin to suffer due to an imbalance of hormones. This could manifest in symptoms such as:
irregular periods
bleeding abnormalities
PMS (no, PMS is not normal)
hair loss / excess facial hair
poor energy/drastic energy fluctuation
poor sleep
infertility
“hangry” symptoms when meals delayed
poor stress response
autoimmune disease
IBS symptoms (constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, urgency)
unexplained weight gain
Another contributor to hormone imbalance in a vegetarian diet, is that the nutrients required to make many hormones are often lacking in vegan diets and vegetarian food.
Sex hormones and stress hormones are known as types of steroid hormones, which are made from cholesterol.
Proteins are essential to facilitating nutrient transport through cellular walls, and throughout the body.
The health of your skin, muscle tissue, and blood also rely on good quality fats and proteins to be consumed in the diet.
The Takeaway
Vegan diets and vegetarian food diets commonly cause overburdened adrenals, liver, and pancreas, leading to symptoms of hormone imbalance. Additionally, our cellular health as a whole will suffer if not taking in adequate (and quality) nutrients.
so, what?
Am I saying no one should eat a solely vegetarian diet?
That is not at all what I’m saying.
Plants are loaded with great nutrients that we cannot get in high quantities from animal products (and vice versa).
We would all benefit from eating far more plant foods, and especially in their whole forms.
Whole plant foods are loaded with antioxidants, polyphenols, fiber, minerals, and other vitamins. In a person with optimal digestion, a diet rich in these foods would provide great benefit!
But does it mean we should cut out animal foods altogether? I would argue not.
A few examples of the nutrients in question:
Fatty Omega 3, 6, and 9 acids are found in higher quantities in animal foods, and are essential to regulating inflammation.
Vitamin B12 is found abundantly in beef and lamb (and is virtually nonexistent in many plant foods). To absorb B12, we need something called Intrinsic Factor, which is produced by the cells in the stomach, and released when protein is present (yep!).
Cholesterol is needed for healthy cells and hormones, as we mentioned.
what’s more important?
If you are considering a vegetarian diet for the sake of health, please consider these things:
Optimize gut health and blood sugar handling first - work with a functional or holistic practitioner who can assess your body’s bio-individuality and address gut health and sugar handling first, will go a long way in helping you understand your body’s needs, and allow you to really get benefit from a vegetarian diet.
Balance your macronutrients - The guidelines will not be the same for every person. For someone with good digestive health, looking to support blood sugar and adrenal health, a good starting point is 90 grams of protein per day (unless you have compromised kidneys). You will find that if you are reaching that amount, the other macronutrients will easily fall into place.
Choose quality food sources - My online course, Cut the Crap, is a great resource for learning about food quality, sourcing, and to understand common food marketing terms to help you decide what products to use. Click here to learn more about Cut the Crap.
was this helpful?
What is your experience with eating a vegetarian food diet? Have you experienced signs of hormone imbalance, symptoms of poor gut health, or poor handling of blood sugar?
How have you been navigating that?
Please share your thoughts in the comments below ⤵️
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Eating Healthy - 5 Myths About Nutrition that We’ve Been Fooled By
Many of us are in a perpetual state of trying to eat healthy on a daily basis.
We are constantly looking and listening for the next trend, the next healthy eating tip, and listening for the buzz words.
We are just trying to do what’s best for our bodies.
In our modern world of AI and abundant information sources at our fingertips through social media and advanced search tools, it is no wonder we are confused by conflicting health claims.
It’s difficult to know when the source of these health claims is credible (or even human!).
Healthy Eating Myths
Many of us are in a perpetual state of trying to eat healthy on a daily basis.
We are constantly looking and listening for the next trend, the next healthy eating tip, and listening for the buzz words.
We are just trying to do what’s best for our bodies.
In our modern world of AI and abundant information sources at our fingertips through social media and advanced search tools, it is no wonder we are confused by conflicting health claims.
It’s difficult to know when the source of these health claims is credible (or even human!).
So, what do we do?
We try ALL the things.
We buy the products that have the healthy eating buzz words.
We don’t question when our health care providers prescribe a diet, medication, or technique that will make us healthier.
We live by old rules of healthy eating, assuming the research has withstood time.
We don’t do the research ourselves, because who has the time?!
so, why listen to me?
I am a human, first of all, and an expert in holistic nutrition.
I am trained to find the root causes of symptoms by assessing the whole person, to educate my clients on what is happening in their bodies, and to support them as they work to repair it.
My clients seek me out because, like you, they’ve tried all the things and have had little to no results, and they’ve heard I can change that.
They come to me when they want answers, because nothing else is working.
This article focuses on common myths about nutrition that I’ve heard directly from clients.
Let’s clear the air about eating healthy, and take a step toward redefining health.
5 myths about nutrition
Here’s the thing: You already know your body needs carbohydrates for energy production. (and if you didn’t, now you do!)
And when carbohydrates are not available, our body has the ability to convert fats into carbohydrates to use for energy (if this system is working properly).
However, we commonly fall into the trap of health claims that promise weight loss goals and beach-ready bods if we cut them out completely.
THE UPSIDE OF CARBOHYDRATES
ENERGY: Carbohydrates are broken down more readily into glucose (1), the smallest form of sugar. In ideal health, glucose is shuttled into cells with the help of insulin, where is it used in the production of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), which can be thought of as fuel for our cells’ functioning (different cells have different functions - nerves, immune cells, blood cells, brain cells, tissue cells, etc.).
FIGHT AND PREVENT DISEASE: Whole food forms of carbohydrates also contain other important nutrients that help stabilize the breakdown of the carbohydrate into glucose(2). Nutrients like fiber, antioxidants, minerals, protein, and fats have multiple health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol, preventing chronic illness like diabetes, lowering inflammation, and supporting the immune system.
DELICIOUS!: They’re delicious and come from a wide variety of foods! Many hear the word “carbs” and think “sugar”, but good quality carbohydrates come from legumes, beans, whole grains, and colorful vegetables and fruits.
THE DOWNSIDE OF CARBOHYDRATES
MUCH OF WHAT WE CONSUME IS REFINED: Poor quality carbohydrates (and a lack of balance between other macronutrients) are everywhere, and are marketed as a way of making us think they are healthy foods. Look at the ingredients list of most foods labeled “gluten-free”, “low fat”, “lite”, “cauliflower crust”, or “100 calorie pack”, and I would bet good money that those products are loaded with heavily processed starches and sugars, which break down more rapidly into glucose, causing issues like insulin resistance, diabetes, and weight gain. READ MORE ABOUT THIS PROCESS HERE.
UNNECESSARY WEIGHT GAIN: When out of balance with protein and fats, carbs cause us to gain unwanted weight because they reduce the efficacy of insulin (remember the hormone that shuttles glucose into cells for energy production?).
FEED UNWANTED GUT PATHOGENS: Carbs (especially refined, or processed) make us more hungry, and cause us to want to eat more often. These carbohydrates not only feed unwanted gut pathogens that our body would normally be able to fight off, but snacking or grazing, disables an important mechanism called the Migrating Motor Complex, which is necessary to keep gut pathogens out. READ MORE ABOUT THE MIGRATING MOTOR COMPLEX HERE.
CHOOSE YOUR CARBOHYDRATES CAREFULLY
Pairing your carbs with quality fats, proteins, and fiber, will help slow the breakdown of carbs into glucose, and help you feel hungry less often. When you do choose carbohydrates, choose from this list:
beans/legumes (sprouted preferably)
dark, leafy greens
whole fruits (in small doses)
whole, sprouted grains - did you know that white rice has had its hull removed (where all the good fiber lives) in a process called “polishing”? Choosing wild rices and ancient grains that have not been processed is the best way to ensure you are getting the whole grain.
starchy vegetables (in small doses)
“I just want a clean slate,” is common for me to hear.
People come to me after hearing about some new liver cleanse, or juice cleanse, and want affirmation from me that it’s the right move.
The hard truth? I’m not a fan.
Intense, focused cleanses like this are necessary in specific circumstances, such as when the liver needs to be intensely supported in order to clear out gut pathogens.
USE CAUTION
🚩Practitioners that sell a detox or cleanse product to anyone without evaluating their health, is a red flag in my book.🚩
A detox or cleanse will not give you a clean slate, and will not resolve your symptoms unless you are also working systemically to repair the root cause(s).
These products are a band-aid fix that might help you feel better temporarily, but blatantly ignore the underlying causes of the issue at hand.
The better answer?
Find a practitioner who will assess your body’s unique health needs and find the root causes of your symptoms. (👋 I CAN HELP!)
If a detox or cleanse is necessary to resolve your symptoms at a foundational level, a good practitioner will guide you through it and adapt it to your body’s unique health needs.
You may have heard in the past few years, that the old “research” telling us that fats were bad, has long since been debunked (3).
We need fat for cellular health, to regulate inflammation, to transport nutrients throughout the body, to make reproductive and stress hormones, for brain function… the list goes on.
Eating healthy fats is the key here, while avoiding heavily processed fats and oils that are far more destructive to your health.
So, yes, if you are someone who consumes a diet rich in packaged foods (even if they are marketed as “healthy foods”), then the fats you are consuming probably are “bad”.
There is a lot to say about this subject, but I’m going to pull out the very foundational pieces for the sake of this article. FOR THOSE WHO WANT A MORE DETAILED LOOK, TAP HERE.
Here’s the dirty truth about fats.
INFLAMMATION: Oils and fats that are marketed to us as being healthy foods, are commonly made with heavily processed fats and chemicals to replace fats and add texture.
When a fat is heated, the electrical properties of the molecules change, and become unstable. These new unstable molecules are called “free radicals".
When free radicals are present, because they are unstable, they literally bounce around erratically, causing damage to the surrounding cells and molecules until they are removed, or re-stabilized.
The damage caused by free radicals not only causes a chronic inflammatory response, but also damages important cells, like nerve cells. If you know anyone with Type II Diabetes who suffers from Peripheral Neuropathy, this is exactly what is happening.
The most disturbing part of this is when a fat (or any food) is broken down like this, it is a form of decay. When a food starts to decay, rot, or spoil (say, in your refrigerator), what is the first thing we notice? The smell. Oil manufacturers add deodorizers to these heavily processed oils to cover up the smell that is made to deter us from eating something that is harmful to our health(4).
CELLULAR HEALTH: We know from looking at different types of fat molecules, known as fatty acids, that some fats are more flowing and pliable, and some fats (trans fats are the biggest culprit) are more rigid in structure.
Cell walls are made mostly of fats in the form of phospholipids. We need those cell walls to be pliable in order to be able to transfer nutrients into and out of the cell.
This transfer happens constantly and for many different reasons. But a good example we’ve already covered is the transferring of glucose into the cell for the production of ATP.
When we eat a diet higher in processed food and poor quality fats, the structure of our cells suffers. Rather than being soft and pliable, and welcoming to nutrients, the walls are rigid, stiff, and have sharp edges. This structure inhibits nutrients from being transferred across the cell wall effectively, effectively preventing from important metabolic processes to occur.
SO, WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
Simple. Choose better fats.
It’s not enough to choose packaged foods that are labeled “no trans fats”, or “heart healthy”, because those terms are not regulated.
Take steps toward replacing your current oils and fats with fats from this list:
cold-pressed, or virgin oils from naturally high-fat foods, such as olives, avocados, and coconut
avoid seed oils when ever possible
real butter from grass-fed cows
rendered animal fats, such as duck fat or beef tallow
ghee - this is a clarified butter that is shelf stable and is commonly better tolerated for those who have a hard time digesting dairy
If you have ever followed the show The Biggest Loser, and seen the lasting effects of the “calories in, calories out” approach to weight loss, it’s pretty easy to see that the results do not last.
For a short time, yes, consuming fewer calories than you burn will cause you to lose weight.
But your body is a fascinating thing. In order to keep you alive, it will adapt to circumstances like calorie restrictions. Your body views calorie restriction as though you are in famine, in which there is a threat of starvation.
This sudden loss of fat triggers a process called metabolic adaptation, in which the body’s resting metabolic rate slows in an effort to keep you alive (5)
What’s even more interesting, is that proper fasting and re-feeding techniques, wherein calorie restriction is not the goal, this metabolic slowing does not occur, but instead helps the body improve systems of metabolic switching (6). 👉READ MORE ABOUT INTERMITTENT FASTING BENEFITS HERE.
This is the number one reason I do the work that I do.
THE DIRTY TRUTH:
We are a society bombarded with constant, and often conflicting, health claims. None of which are able to consider your body’s individual health needs, experiences, and lifestyle.
My mission is to redefine how you look at health. To educate and empower you to advocate for your health by finding the root causes of your symptoms, and resolving these underlying factors.
Your symptoms are your body’s way of communicating what it has experienced, and those experiences are different for everyone.
Put more simply:
Vegan eating will not solve your health problems unless animal products are the cause of your health problems.
Eating foods that are gluten-free will not solve your health problems unless gluten is the cause of your health problems.
Restricting calories will not solve your weight problem unless too many calories are the cause of your weight gain.
The only way to truly improve health, stop feeling bloated, lose weight, reduce pain, get rid of acne, and enjoy looking at yourself in the mirror again, is to get individualized support.
Your health is not defined by numbers on a scale.
so, what?
Feeling defeated by the rules and restrictions of dieting?
If so, then tap that button below.
I’ve got your back.
was this helpful?
Any surprises for you in reading this?
Any “ah-ha!” moments?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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BLOG REFERENCES:
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2022, March 22). Choose your Carbs wisely. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/carbohydrates/art-20045705
Ludwig, D. S., Hu, F. B., Tappy, L., & Brand-Miller, J. (2018, June 13). Dietary carbohydrates: Role of quality and quantity in chronic disease. BMJ (Clinical research ed.). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5996878/
Ramsden, C. E., Zamora, D., Majchrzak-Hong, S., Faurot, K. R., Broste, S. K., Frantz, R. P., Davis, J. M., Ringel, A., Suchindran, C. M., & Hibbeln, J. R. (2016, April 12). Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: Analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73). The BMJ. https://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i1246
Negash, Y. A., Amare, D. E., Bitew, B. D., & Dagne, H. (2019, December 4). Assessment of quality of edible vegetable oils accessed in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia - BMC Research notes. BioMed Central. https://bmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13104-019-4831-x
Johannsen, Darcy L, et al. “Metabolic Slowing with Massive Weight Loss despite Preservation of Fat-Free Mass.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, U.S. National Library of Medicine, July 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3387402/#:~:text=Despite%20relative%20preservation%20of%20FFM,or%20caloric%20restriction%20are%20maintained.
Vasim, Izzah, et al. “Intermittent Fasting and Metabolic Health.” Nutrients, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 31 Jan. 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8839325/#:~:text=During%20prolonged%20periods%20of%20fasting,for%20many%20tissues%20especially%20brain.