Kristen Coles

Eat Right for your Workout Type

When you make the commitment to start an exercise routine and find yourself frustrated months later because you haven’t seen the changes in weight or body composition you were expecting, it may be time to evaluate your pre and post-workout nutrition. The old adage about carbohydrate preloading that “fueled” the rage of Spaghetti Supers of high school football teams is not the approach needed for the weight loss goals that many people are looking for. In fact, recent research shows that protein tops carbohydrate in its ability to increase physical performance, training session recovery, lean body mass, and strength. Even at 24 hours post-exercise, the fat-burning effects from the workout will be significantly greater if you go for the protein and skip the carbs! To help get you started – see below for the timing and types of protein best suited to give you results.

Pre-Exercise: 20 grams of protein within 1-3 hours before exercise

-2 hard boiled eggs
-protein smoothie – ½ cup tofu, almond milk, chia seeds, frozen berries, spinach
-2 rice cakes with nut butter
-4oz salmon with avocado
-1 cup greek yogurt with pumpkin seeds, almonds

Post-Exercise: Protein that contains at least 3 grams of leucine, combined with carbohydrate – 20 minutes to 1 hour after exercise. Leucine is a specific amino acid (protein) that helps to promote lean muscle development and decrease body fat.

-1 cup edamame
-1 cup cooked lentils
-1 cup chia seed pudding with 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds and berries
-whey protein shake
-1 cup tuna salad with rice cake

Bonus Tip: A shot of pomegranate juice 30 minutes before exercise results in improved exercise performance due to increased blood supply to muscles during your workout.

For a more personalized nutrition plan to help you achieve your healthiest self consider seeing a Naturopathic Physician.

Journal References:

1.E.J. Roelofs, A.E. Smith-Ryan, E.T. Trexler, K.R. Hirsch, M.G. Mock. Effects of pomegranate extract on blood flor and vessel diameter after high-intensity exercise in young, healthy adults. European Journal Sports Science, 2016; Sep 20:1-9

2.M. Stark, J. Lukaszuk, A. Prawitz, A. Salacinski. Protein timing and its effects on muscular hypertrophy and strength in individuals engaged in weight-training. Journal International Soc Sports Nutrition, 2012; Dec 14;9(1):54

3.H.L. Wingfield, A. E. Smith-Ryan, M.N. Melvin, E.J. Roelofs, E.T. Trexler, A.C. Hackney, M.A. Weaver, E.D. Ryan. The acute effect of exercise modality and nutrition manipulations on post-exercise resting energy expenditure and respiratory exchange ratio in women: a randomized trial. Sports Medicine Open, 2015; Dec 1(1):11

4.K.J. Hackney, A.J. Bruenger, J.T. Lemmer. Timing protein intake increases energy expenditure 24h after resistance training. Med Science Sports Exercise, 2010; May 42(5):998-1003

Women’s Wellness Wednesdays

I think it’s safe to say that Wednesdays are often the day of the week that find most people just trying to make it through. It seems to have the most nicknames of any day of the week – be it “Hump Day”, “Midweek”, “It’s Thursday Somewhere Day”, “Worstday”, etc. Well over here I am giving Wednesdays my own term and hoping to brighten up the bleakness of that midweek grind by bringing Women’s Wellness Wednesdays to you. Stop by on any given Wednesday to find some great wellness tips specially designed for all you ladies and all of you who love ladies.

Estrogen, the Brain, and Happiness

Estrogen. The hormone to end all hormones in the female system. It has the potential to hijack our hearts, our minds and our sanity. And speaking of sanity – today we will be discussing the crucial role that estrogen plays in our brains. I want you to meet a patient of mine, Trudy (*name changed to preserve her identity). Trudy came to see me at age 51 complaining of feeling “not right” in the head. Her symptoms ranged from brain fog, issues concentrating, difficulty with word recall, to the most troubling symptom of all – apathy and what she termed in question form to me, “maybe it is a little bit of depression?”. To put it bluntly, Trudy just didn’t care anymore. She had lost her joie de vivre, her spark, her hope and the fact that this didn’t even bother her troubled her even more. (Let me just pause here and say that Trudy could in fact be almost every late 40s to early 50s female patient that walks into my office – these symptoms tend to be rampant in this population). Long appointment short – Trudy is in the hotbed of perimenopause (the time leading up to actual menopause when periods stop and our ovaries take a permanent vacation). What this means is that she is on a downhill ski slalom experiencing a significant change in hormones, leading to much lower levels of hormones such as estrogen in her system.

So let’s get down to the real juicy stuff about estrogen and its effects on the brain. In our brain we have a plethora of estrogen receptors that mediate dozens of different brain processes. Estrogen in the brain does everything from increasing blood flow, decreasing inflammation, protecting neurons from oxidative stress, improving nerve growth, preventing neuronal cell death to increasing serotonin release at nerve synapses (1). These wide ranging effects of estrogen in the brain mean that any time any women experiences a drop in estrogen (which can basically be once a month right before the period for most women) she will most likely also experience alterations in brain function. For Trudy, who as a perimenopausal women is experiencing more chronic long-term drops in her estrogen levels, this has led to noticeable and significant changes in her brain function. In regards to the relation between estrogen and depression, estrogen compounds are closely tied to a special neurotransmitter called serotonin. Serotonin is our feel-good, joy-inducing neurotransmitter. Many of the most common antidepressant pharmaceuticals are in the category of SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). The idea is that we can change symptoms of depression by increasing the amount of serotonin hanging out in the synaptic cleft (i.e. the brain). Estrogen can both increase the release of serotonin but also block the uptake of the serotonin – which in both cases leads to greater levels of serotonin. When estrogen levels drop to a lower overall state it means less estrogen in the brain and less serotonin. This is the cause of my patient Trudy’s apathy. I’m sure Trudy would have also been interested to hear that a recent study demonstrated that long-term treatment with estradiol (a specific form of estrogen) is as effective as treatment with sertraline (an SSRI drug) on symptoms of depression when used in states of low estrogen.

So to all of you women out there wondering if you are hanging out on the edge of “crazy” – you aren’t. There is a real, physiological reason to why you are having these feelings. And it’s name is estrogen. There is hope for Trudy, who within a few months of targeted herbal and bio-identical hormone therapy felt like she had her “old brain back”, and there is hope for all of you. Coming next week Wednesday – my favorite herbs for helping women find balance in menopause.

1. Sheppard JE. Effects of estrogen on cognition, mood, and degenerative brain diseases. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2001;41(2).

This is not your momma’s pumpkin spice latte – Introducing the AI Elixir

It’s the new Pumpkin Spice Latte – or it should be. This spicy, warm, creamy delight has all the sweetness and spice of the good ole PSL but in reality it has health benefits that far outweigh any commercial concoction. In its first incarnation I termed this the “Anti-Inflammatory Elixir”. However due to complaints from my father about the mouthful of the name for such a smooth and easy drink I have renamed it the “AI Elixir”. The ingredients are simple – fresh ginger root, fresh turmeric root, and a cinnamon stick. Yet the effect this has on inflammation is profound.

Turmeric has been touted for decades for its wide range of actions in the body – everything from digestive tonic to anticancer properties. It makes its magic because of an active constituent called curcumin – the reigning king of the anti-inflammatory kingdom. Everything that curcumin does inside the body is because of the potent ability it has to reduce inflammation across the entire system – from the gut to the brain and everywhere in between. Pair turmeric root with its cousin ginger and you get not only a culinary match but a medicinal match. Ginger has been used across cultures for the digestive tonic effect – it helps decrease nausea, prevent food poisoning, and it contains its own additional anti-inflammatory properties. Much of the warm, spicy flavor in the AI Elixir comes from the fresh ginger root and indeed ginger has the ability to warm and prime the digestion during cold months. Cinnamon is the final herb in this trifecta and it lends taste but also brings its own medicinal punch. Cinnamon is well-known for its ability to lower blood sugar levels and it does this by decreasing the absorption of sugars in the gut. One important connection to make is that excess blood sugar is a primary cause to the process of inflammation. Excess sugar in the system is like fanning the flames of the inflammatory fire.

These three herbs combined together are akin to health nirvana – drink daily and you will notice the change. So tomorrow do yourself a favor and consider ditching that sugar-laden, caffeine-pumped Pumpkin Spice Latte and try the AI Elixir. Your body will thank you.

Cheers to great health! – Dr. Kristen Coles

Ingredients

4 slices of fresh organic turmeric root – cut lengthwise
2 slices of fresh organic ginger root – cut lengthwise
1 cinnamon stick
4 cups of water
1 tsp raw honey – optional
1 tbsp coconut milk – optional

Directions

Add water to pot and bring to a boil. Add turmeric root, ginger root and cinnamon stick. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, strain, add honey and coconut milk if desired. Drink liberally.

Kristen Coles

Estrogen, the Brain, and Happiness

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