Biohacks, Tips, & How Tos

To achieve overall health, reach your goal weight, and feel good doing so, its important to understand where your cravings are coming from and why! Aside from providing great pleasure and enjoyment, the nutrients and energy your body needs to function; food also has an influence on appetite and moods. Research shows that certain foods and lifestyle patterns affect powerful mood-modifying brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, take a look below at these guys:

• Serotonin — this is a chemical released after eating carbohydrates (sugars and starches). It enhances calmness, improves mood, and lessens depression. Serotonin is made from the amino acid tryptophan. High levels of serotonin help control appetite, satisfy cravings, and provide a feeling of well-being and inner calm.
• Dopamine and norepinephrine — these are chemicals released after eating protein (meats, poultry, dairy, legumes). They enhance mental concentration and alertness. These neurotransmitters come from the amino acid tyrosine.
• Ghrelin — a neurotransmitter that sets up an irresistible urge to eat when elevated
• NPY, neuropeptide Y — increases carbohydrate cravings when elevated
• Galanin — increases the desire for fatty foods when elevated
• Cortisol — the emergency gland of the body, the adrenals releases cortisol as the primary coordinator for the reactions of stress. Cortisol decreases the production of serotonin. If you normally eat to relieve stress, the hormone cortisol places the extra calories (fat) in the abdomen or stomach area of your body.
• Endorphins — the body’s natural “high'” which gives pain relief and pleasure when elevated

Why is this important?! 

As you lower calories to lose weight, you starve your brain first and that depletes serotonin (a neurotransmitter which helps you feel calm, peaceful, and contented, and has a pivotal role in regulating appetite). This leads to increasing cravings for different foods, depression, anxiety, lethargy, feelings of hopelessness or rage all increase. Typical dieting means an immediate cutback on the production of chemicals that support health of your mind, your psyche, and your spirit.

If you skip meals, this will lead to your blood sugar levels going abnormally low and intense cravings to start. This also causes an increase in ghrelin (a neurotransmitter that sets up an irresistible urge to eat) and lowers neuropeptide Y, which increases carbohydrate cravings. This then leads to an unstoppable desire to eat More as well as and increases your eating frequency, which leads to binging…not what you wanted to happen!

As you lower calories to lose weight, this will lower insulin and your thyroid hormone, which lowers your metabolism and also lowers the release of fat from your body meaning you can’t lose weight as easily and may end up on a plateau.

As you eat more dietary fat, this will increase endorphins (the body’s natural “high”, which gives pain relief and pleasure). Research has also shown that the neurotransmitter galanin increases the desire for fatty foods. The more fat in a person’s diet, the more galanin is produced and the more galanin that’s produced, the more one prefers or craves fattier foods.  Research has also shown that eating less fat for several weeks reduces galanin levels and the desire to eat fatty foods. So the less fat (and refined carbohydrates you eat), the less you want.

Eating extra dietary carbohydrate (starches and sugars) will raise serotonin, which makes you feel calm and relaxed. So you can see how the usual combination of sugar and fat (many desserts) set you up to feel calm and contented, and can easily set up cravings for additional desserts because you want that inner state of calm and contentment.

Stress is also a common reason for over eating as well as emotional eating. Two out of three people eat more, when under stress, and don’t usually overeat vegetables or healthy nourishing foods, rather sweets and sugar filled desserts.

When loneliness or stress increase, this leads to an increase in cortisol, which leads to deposits of abdominal fat and makes it more difficult to lost weight or keep it off.

 SLEEP –  7 to 9 hours of sleep every night is vital to your health. There is a strong link between the amount of sleep people get and their risk of becoming overweight. Sleep deprivation ↓ leptin, a blood protein that suppresses appetite, and ↑ grehlin, a substance that makes people want to eat. After a night of sleep deprivation, people typically consume 10% more calories!

If your feeling down or have a case of the “blues” your body thinks you need to find something as a reward, this leads to the increase of dopamine, which will lead to an increase in desire for food and an increase in attention to searching out enjoyable eating experiences or rewarding actions.

Positive thoughts lead to a rise in serotonin, which lowers your desire for food, and increases your satisfaction, all of which helps control your temper, improve your sleep, while balancing sexual urges, and enhancing your memory.

When you eat favorite foods this  increases endorphins which also lead to an increase in your eating speed. Take time to enjoy your dishes, mindfully, chewing properly to enhance digestion!

A rise in norepinephrine causes an increase in negative feelings, feelings of distrust, and increasing the desire to fight or flee from unpleasant situations

Endorphins (the body’s natural opiates which give a “high”) when they are low, this leads to an increase of the urge to get relief or pleasure, desire for junk foods, excess exercise, or alcohol.

Exercise naturally raises endorphins and control NPY (neuropeptide Y) which lowers anxiety and carbohydrate cravings and increases feelings of contentment.

After a person exercises, abnormal cortisol levels lower, dopamine lowers (arousal hormone), and norepinephrine lowers, which leads to appetite suppression and mood stability…and at last you feel better!

I know all of this sounds scientific and tricky, but in all honestly, the better you are at understanding your body and it’s needs, the better choices you can make nutritional wise and be on a path to feeling better than ever! I hope you can apply these tips towards your nutrition goals. If your in need of 1-1 nutritional coaching, you can find a few different package options in the NN Shop here!

Move Fast, Eat Slow, Live Well, 
-Nelli

From algae to bone broth and charcoal to collagen, it seems like the wellness trends are never ending… in a good way though –  I’m all for new approaches to healthy living! That being said, it’s important to do your homework when considering trying new trends to find out if it’s something that will benefit you or if it’s a hoax; whether it’s a product or a practice; I find it best to be in the know of all things pertaining to!

If you have an Instagram or Facebook account or keep up with trending health and wellness blogs like Well & Good, Vogue, Mind Body Green or Chalk Board Magazine I’m sure you’ve at least heard of collagen. It’s been quite the craze lately although I’m not sure why, because it’s nothing new! In fact your sitting in a big pile of it now…our bodies are made up of collagen! Let’s take a glance at the facts:

What is Collagen:

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and is found in bones, joints, ligaments, connective tissue, skin and cartilage. It makes up about 30% of the protein in your body and about 20% of your body mass! That’s an incredible amount!

Types of Collagen:

Collagen can come from: Marine (fish), grass-fed cows, and chicken; sometimes labeled bone broth. The two forms of collagen are Hydrolyzed Collagen which is derived from bone and cartilage the amino acids from this collagen are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, and then used to build new collagen.  Hydrolyzed collagen is also know as Type I collagen. Studies show that hydrolyzed collagen from fish consists of small peptide molecules that have great bio-availability and digestibility when compared with other collagen sources. Due to the lower molecular weight, these peptides are absorbed faster through the intestinal barrier and into the bloodstream. The second form of collagen is Collagen Protein or Gelatin which is collagen with a higher molecular weight. Essentially they are the same thing, but Hydrolyzed Collagen or Collagen Peptides are broken down further than gelatin and can be easier on digestion.

Why You Should Supplement with Collagen:

As you age, your body naturally produces less collagen and you are left to get it elsewhere. By the age of about 40, collagen synthesis reduces dramatically and it’s important to outsource this nutrient to maintain bodily features and functions.

How Can Collagen Help Me:

• Promotes bone growth and can delay onset of diseases like arthritis and osteoporosis
• Lubricates your joints
• Is the main building block for healthy bones and joints
• Promotes growth of hair, skin, and nails.
• Highly anti-inflammatory and immune system boosting
• Digestive system friendly

How Can I Incorporate Collagen: 

Collagen comes in capsule and powder form. Some of my favorite ways to use it are in smoothies, baked goods, soups, in my water bottle and in hot drinks (stay tuned for a cozy cuppa recipe to follow). I find powder to be the easiest of the two. You can literally just pour it in to any of the above just like you would other supplements, spices or sweeteners.

Search “collagen” in the NN Recipe Index for some of my favorite recipes that use collagen.

My Favorite Brands of Collagen:

• Primal Kitchen
• Vital Proteins
• Perfect Keto

Drumroll…….and now for my absolute favorite way to use collagen; especially since it’s been bone shivering cold lately…

HOT COLLA COCO – “Hot Chocolate & Marshmallows on Superfood Steroids!”

This drink is life in a cup is so many ways! I have an addiction to recreating traditional unhealthy favorites into nutrient packed, healthy, delicious versions. No deprivation here guys! From pizza, to french fries, ice cream to cake – I’m bound to find a way to make it Nourishing Nelli style! Onto HOT COLLA COCO – a hot chocolate that’s free of the refined sugars and dairy like it’s lifeless and nutrient stripped twin “hot chocolate with marshmallows”

Hot Colla Coco is loaded with protein from collagen, which also provides other beneficial properties (eh-hmm: read the blog post above, I know you didn’t just skip to the recipe 😉  It contains healthy fats in the form of MCT from coconuts, which promote beautiful skin, aid in weight loss and have antimicrobial properties.  Hot Colla Coco contains cacao powder, a superfood that tastes like chocolate except no dairy or refined sugar! Cacao is a powerful antioxidant and contains serotonin which acts as a mood enhancer and gives you that “feel good” feeling, as well as the ability to fend off stress. Hot Colla Coco is topped with the coconut flakes and cacao nibs to take the place of marshmallows aka: sugar cubes that do nothing for you whatsoever. The coconut flakes mixed with cacao nibs are just the right amount of sweetness, are full of fiber, and make this drink just the perfect cuppa for a cold winter night while cuddled up on the couch in fuzzy socks listening to Christmas Music!

The amount of collagen for this recipe will change depending on which brand you use. Read the label and use 1 serving. I typically use Vital Proteins peptides, or skip the whole cacao, coconut sugar, and collagen ingredients and put 2 tbsp of Eating Evolved Hot Coco + Collagen which is essentially the same thing!

I’m off to boil a glass, turn the tunes on and unwind from a bone chilling cold day!

I hope you enjoy, show me your creations by tagging #NourishingNelli on Instagram or Facebook!

#collagenforpresident!

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The Who, What, Why of Collagen + a Happy Hour Drink You Don't Want to Miss!