Carcinogen Free Beauty

 

Direct carcinogens (directly cause cancer)

Benzil Acetate Butyl Benzyphthalate Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) “Coal Tar Dyes” (and lakes) D & C Red 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 17, 19 & 33, Green 5, Orange 17, FD & C Blue 1, 2 & 4, Green 3, Red 4 & 40, Yellow 5 & 6 Crystalline Silica Diaminophenol Diethanolamine (DEA) Doictyl Adipate Disperse Blue 1, Disperse Yellow 3 (clourants) Fluoride Formaldehyde Glutaral Hydroquinone Methylene Chloride Methylisothiazolinone and Methylchloroisothiazolinone Nitrophenylenediamine p-Phenylenediamine (following oxidation) Phenyl-p-phenylenediamine Saccharin Talc (only in loose form, particularly around genitalia)

Contaminants

These are hidden carcinogens contaminating other chemicals such as dioxane, a highly potent carcinogen.

1,4-Dioxane. In Ethoxylated Alcohols, including PEGs, Oleths, Polysorbates, Nonoxynol. Arsenic and Lead. In Coal Tar Dyes, Polyvinyl Acetate, PEGs (polyethylene glycols). DDT and related Pesticides. In Lanolin, Quarterniums. Diethanolamine (DEA). In DEA Cocamide/ Lauramide condensates, Quaterniums. Ethylene Oxide. In Ethoxylated Alcohols, including PEGs, Oleths, Polysorbates, Nonoxynol. Formaldehyde. In Polyoxymethylene Urea.

Nitrosamine Precursors

Nitrosamines are highly carcinogenic. Nitrosamine precursors interact with other chemicals in the product to form nitrosamines.

Bromonitrodioxane 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol Diethanolamine (DEA) DEA-Cocamide, Lauramide and Oleamide condensates DEA-MEA/Acetate DEA-Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Metheneamine Morpholine Padimate-O Pyroglumatic Acid Triethanolamine (TEA) TEA-Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Formaldehyde Precursors

Formaldehyde is highly toxic, neurotoxic, genotoxic and carcinogenic. Formaldehyde precursors react with other chemicals in the product to release formaldehyde (used to preserve dead bodies).

2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,2-Diol Diazolidonyl Urea DMDM-Hydantoin Imidazolidinyl Urea Metheneamine Quaternium-15 Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate

Endocrine (Hormonal) Disruptors

Parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl also known as hydroxy methyl benzoates). Three university studies have shown that parabens get absorbed into the blood-stream and disrupt the hormonal system. They may be associated with breast cancer.

Benzophenone Butyl Benzyl Phthalate Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) Butylmethoxydibenzoylmethane (B-MDM) Dibutyl Phthalate Diethyl Phthalate Homosalate (HMS) Methyl-benzylidene Camphor (4-MDC) Octyl-dimethyl-PABA (OD-PABA) Octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC) Resorcinol

Please also check our below pages: Measurement of paraben concentrations in human breast tissue at serial locations across the breast from axilla to sternum Parabens in Breast Tissue not Limited to Women who Have Used Underarm Products The Paraben Debate The
Paraben
Debate

MN Local Farmers Market Guide

It's such a delight to see the sunshine and birds chirping their spring song.  In light of a new season, it's that time of year to start thinking about the enjoyment of FRESH fruits and vegetables.

Here is a list of your MN Local Farmer's Markets! 

Mother's Day weekend on May 10th will kick off the Spring outdoor season at the Mill City Farmers Market. It is located on Second Street and South Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis.  Hours of operation are 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.  We hope to see you there.

Other Farmer's Markets in the area that are always fun to visit include:

Minneapolis Farmers Market located at 312 East Lyndale Avenue North in Minneapolis.  This market is open every day, April through December.  Daily hours are 6:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

St. Paul Farmers Market is located at the corner of Fifth Street and Wall Street.  This market is open Saturdays and Sundays from April to November.  Saturday hours are 6;:00 AM to 1:00 PM and Sunday hours are 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Nicollet Mall Farmers Market occupies a five-block area on Nicollet Mall (between 5th Street and 10th Street) and is open on Thursdays from May to October from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Midtown Farmer's Market is located on the corner of Lake Street and 22nd Avenue and is open from May to October on Tuesdays and Saturdays.  Tuesday hours are 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM and Saturday hours are 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

There are many more farmer's markets in cities and suburbs throughout the Metro area.  To find your nearest farmer's market go to LocalHarvest.com.

Is your hair thinning? Thyroid Function - look no further!

 Our team views our guests  multi-dimensionally.  Through the focal point of functional medicine and beauty - Justin (guest post) brings light to how your thyroid may be the first place to look if you are experiencing hair loss.

Below are only a few symptoms of low thyroid function (hypothyroidism):

• Thinning hair (most common)

• Fatigue

• Weight gain

• Constipation

• Depression

Thinning hair or hair loss is a hallmark sign for low thyroid function.

The hair follicle requires thyroid hormone to produce hair. As thyroid function begins to lower due to stress or an autoimmune condition, it’s possible to see negative changes in your hair quality and or amount. It’s also possible to see hair come off in clumps from your scalp or just see a thinning of the outer third of your eye brows.

Auto-immune hypothyroid patients (Hashimotos) are known to suffer from alopecia or hair loss (1, 2).  There is a higher chance of having allopecia or hair loss if you have a hypothyroid condition.

The systemic inflammation underlying most thyroid conditions can be a driving factor of hair loss by decreasing thyroid hormone. Chronic stress will cause in increase in Reverse T3 which has an effect of decreasing active thyroid hormone at the receptor site level. Reverse T3 can also decrease thyroid conversion from T4 (Inactive) to T3 (Active) (3).

Reverse t3 appeared to inhibit the conversion of t4 to T3 with a potency which is about 100 times more than propylthiouracil (4).

Reverse T3 has also been show to to be an excellent indicator for thyroid function even though it’s ignore by most mainstream endocrinologists.

This study demonstrates that rT3 inversely correlates with physical performance scores and that the T3/rT3 ratio is currently the best indicator of tissue levels of thyroid (5).

It’s important if you are suffering from hair loss that you receive a full thyroid panel (not just TSH and T4) including thyroid antibodies, free and total fractions of T4/T3, reverse T3, and T3 uptake.

Having a complete lab panel will allow your Functional Medicine Doctor more information to assess your overall thyroid function and provide a plan that will provide a lasting solution.

Do You Have An Autoimmune Thyroid? Over 5% of the population has an autoimmune thyroid disorder and conventional medicine is ill equipped to address it.

Did you know most mainstream MD’s don’t measure thyroid antibodies? The reason is, it doesn’t change the medication they would put you on in the first place. Being a holistic physician, knowing a patient has an auto-immune thyroid disease can make all the difference in the world in helping the patient get better.

What You Can Do To Assess Thyroid Function Measuring body temperature is an excellent indicator of thyroid function. It can help assess your thyroid function without lab testing and can be an early indicator that you may have a thyroid problem. I always recommend combining thyroid temperature testing along with a comprehensive thyroid lab panel.

What If My Thyroid Tests Are Normal?

Most patients never get a comprehensive thyroid test to being with. When the are told they are normal it’s usually their Doctor letting them know their TSH is out of the pathological range >4.5. Below is an example of lab work looks to most Doctors.

It’s important to note that 95% of the population comprise the so called “Normal” range. Just go look around and you’ll be hard pressed to find 95% of people you know with normal health. As the population gets sicker, the references get wider, decreasing the chance of conventional labs picking up on your thyroid condition.

Functional Medicine Doctors look at thyroid tests on a functional spectrum of thyroid health. This allows more patient’s with thyroid issues to be detected and not slip through the cracks like they would in the conventional medical world.

It’s possible to have a normal thyroid blood test and still have a low body temperature. It’s always best to look at both temperature, thyroid function and adrenal functional when addressing harder thyroid cases.

Adequate body temperature ranges between: -97.8-98.2 degrees for the axillary area (armpit). -98.2-98.6 degrees for the oral area (mouth).

Healthy thyroid temperature shouldn’t vary more than 0.3 degrees per day. If you see a variance of great than 0.3 degrees per day, this is a sign of adrenal stress. Adrenal fatigue can also contribute to thyroid dysfunction.

Some individuals may need small amounts of natural thyroid hormone to jump start their system, others may need a more comprehensive approach that looks at addressing the adrenal glands and the nutrients required for healthy T4 to T3 conversion. Either way I strongly urge anyone in this situation to get a comprehensive assessment to figure out which approach is best.

From a functional medicine paradigm it’s important to know if you are auto-immune because it changes the overall approach to how the thyroid is treated. Any time any auto-immune condition is present the focus needs to more on the immune system and the gut and less on the thyroid or injured gland.

Most Important Lab Tests

TSH: Pituitary hormones that signals the thyroid to make T4, a poor marker of thyroid status unless elevated. Total T4: 98% of T4 thyroid hormone that is inactive and protein bound. Free T4: 2% of  T4 thyroid hormone that is active and freely bound. Total T3: 98% of T3 thyroid hormone that is inactive and protein bound. Free T3: 2% of T3  thyroid hormone that is active and freely bound. Reverse T3: Sign of a stressed physiology and a slower metabolism. Thyroglobulin:  Increases with BCP’s (birth control pills) and higher levels of estrogen, decreases with elevation in testosterone like in PCOS. T3 Uptake: How much active thyroid hormone is taken up by the receptor site. Elevated upate can be a sign of higher levels of testosterone commonly cause by PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) in females. Low uptake can be caused by elevations in estrogen primarily seen by BCP’s. TPO Antibody: 70% of auto-immune patients are positive for TPO. TBG Antibody: Less likely positive but should still be tested to rule out auto-immunity. TSI Antibody/Thyrotropin receptor antibodies: Auto-immune condition that causes hyperthyroidism or Graves Disease.

Thank you - Guest Post:  Dr. Justin Marchegiani

Learn more about your thyroid, immunity, and getting to the root - here!

90% of all food allergies are caused by 8 common foods! Do you have these symptoms?

Eight common foods are causing 90 percent of all food allergies! Do you have any of these symptoms?

This may surprise you, but eight common foods – milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, soy, wheat and shellfish – cause 90 percent of all food allergies. Chances are, half of those items make common appearances in your daily diet. They could, however, be jacking up your cortisol, decreasing your immune strength, and keeping you from achieving your wellness (and weight loss!) goals.

Allergies versus intolerances While the cause of true food allergies – the kind that produces severe or anaphalatic reactions — involve IgE antibodies in the immune system, food intolerances can arise when we consume the same foods day after day with little variety. This dietary stagnation causes the body to become “sensitized” to the food. In common parlance, the terms “allergy,” “sensitivity” and “food intolerance” are often used interchangeably, but sensitivities and intolerances are not true IgE allergies.

Food sensitivities or intolerances usually involve a different set of immune system antibodies called IgG antibodies. Symptoms are less intense and typically do not appear immediately, but rather within 12–48 hours, after eating the offending foodstuff. Heartburn, headaches, difficulty getting out of bed in the morning, looking tired even after sufficient sleep, an inability to lose weight, bloating and relentless water retention can all be related to food sensitivities or intolerances.

Because the connection between the symptom and a specific food can be difficult to pinpoint, those who suffer these discomforts often go on feeling worse and worse as their immune system takes a constant beating.

Many of us with food sensitivities don’t even realize how bad we feel until the problematic foods are removed from our diet. Then suddenly getting out of bed becomes easier, our energy, mood and concentration improve and joint pain, headaches and sinus congestion disappear. Here’s a handy chart on common symptoms associated with food sensitivities. You may be nodding your head to more than a few of these side effects:

Symptoms commonly associated with food intolerances/sensitivities

Digestive: Gas Bloating Abdominal cramping Loose stools Indigestion or heartburn Constipation GERD (reflux) Blood in the stool Lactose intolerance Inflammatory bowel disease Irritable bowel Syndrome

Skin: Eczema Psoriasis Acne Hives

Mental/Emotional: Irritability Anxiety Depression Food cravings Insomnia

General: Joint pain or stiffness Arthritis (rheumatoid) Fatigue Difficulty getting out of bed in the morning Headaches Migraines Malaise Weight gain Water retention Puffy eyes Dark under-eye circles High blood pressure Cellulite Difficulty losing weight

Nasal/Immune system: Sinus congestion Ear congestion Post-nasal drip Seasonal allergies Hay fever Asthma Chronic ear infections Itching in the ears Itchy mouth Runny nose Watery eyes Sneezing

Identifying your trigger foods To get to the bottom of your symptoms, I recommend that you do a 14-day elimination diet where you remove the most common food allergens from your diet to give your body a break, alleviate stress off your immune system, and detox overall. Slowly re-introducing each food after a 14-day break can allow you to connect particular symptoms with your food choices.

All that experimenting with different foods may sound like a major inconvenience, but the results can be invaluable. I recall one patient who had suffered with headaches for 20 years – they were gone after just two weeks of avoiding wheat. Another woman had bleeding from the bowel for two years – it was gone after one week on a dairy-free diet.

Uncovering food sensitivities is a powerful process to explore. But what you do with the information you gain is up to you. Once you’ve determined the effects of particular foods on your health, you have to decide whether or not you want to continue eating them.

Check out Dr. Oz's Elimination Diet HERE!

Plan B for determining your food allergies If you don’t want to do a 14-day elimination diet you can consider IgG food allergy testing. Although I encourage you to go through the process of food elimination and reintroduction because it’s so effective, you can choose to have a blood test to identify your IgG food allergies instead. This test identifies the presence of IgG antibodies to certain foods. Positive results to certain foods should be followed with the removal of those foods from your diet for a period of two to six months.

Guest Post:  Natasha Turner, N.D., is a naturopathic doctor

The "Connect 4" to Hormone Havoc that Causes Hair Loss

Many of our guests (salon family)  are fast paced - multitasking -super women!    Naturally, this brings on excess stress, fatigue and hormonal challenges over a period of time. Common first experiences of hair loss is after giving birth.  Years later women reach menopause or other hormonal imbalances, and all not uncommon for women to start losing hair. And while hair loss is a normal process  -  it’s also something that can be remedied by addressing underlying health and hormonal problems.

I appreciate the recent post shared by Dr. Sara Gottfried MD.  You may know of her most recent book "The Hormone Cure."   Sara understands the fundamentals of functional medicine and how it relates to women's health and hormones - inside out.  Enjoy the quick read and thank you, Sara!

4 Hormone Horrors that Cause Hair Loss

If hormones can zap your energy and steal your sex drive, it’s probably no surprise that they can also turn your tresses into a mess. Here are just a few ways that hormonal issues can cause hair loss:

1. Excess Estrogen.

Estrogen, the power player in women’s bodies, is your friend when it’s appropriately balanced. It makes you feel energized, helps stabilize your moods and contributes to a healthy sex drive. Yet too much estrogen, which can be caused by weight gain, perimenopause or toxicity from exposure to endocrine disruptors (which are rampant in our food, water and plastic products), can lead to thinning hair. During and after pregnancy, for example, estrogen levels peak and then dip, causing sudden hair loss for many women.

2. Insulin Issues.

Insulin, that helper hormone in charge of regulating blood sugar levels, also affects a number of different body processes, including fat storage, heart health and, you guessed it, hair growth. One study published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Risk found that women with some markers of insulin resistance have a greater risk for androgenic alopecia (AGA), or female pattern baldness.

3. Tricky Testosterone.

In men, testosterone is associated with being big, burly and hairy. But too much testosterone in women creates all sorts of unpleasant results. Namely, it can cause hair growth on the face, neck or chest, and hair loss on your head. Not pretty.

4. Thyroid Woes.

Your body is an intelligent system. So when it’s under stress due to hormonal imbalances, like fluctuating thyroid levels, it redirects energy used for noncritical processes (hair growth) to more important matters at hand (balancing your hormones). Low thyroid is often the cause of that thinning scalp some women get as they age.

3 Ways to Maintain your Mane               

If you’re tired of yanking out gobs of hair from the bathroom drain or piling on products to pump up your ponytail, here are three strategies that have helped many of my patients address the root cause of hair loss:  

1. Get tested.

Because there are a number of different factors that can contribute to hair loss, it’s best to ask your doctor for a few different tests. I recommend checking: fasting glucose, iron levels and complete blood count (which can determine if you have anemia), as well as thyroid, estrogen and testosterone levels. These assessments should give you a better understanding of what hormonal issues may be at the root of your problem.

2. Eat clean.

Incorporating more fiber into your diet will help to lower estrogen levels through the process of “elimination” (i.e., excess estrogen will come out in the wash). Focusing on a high-protein,

low-carbohydrate diet with lots of veggies will improve insulin resistance that may be contributing to hair loss.

3. Pop a quality multivitamin. 

Nutrients, or lack thereof, can affect hair growth, too. Vitamin A helps fat synthesis in hair follicles, encouraging growth; vitamin E helps protect your hair cells from damage; and B vitamins also help to restore hair thickness and shine. Vitamin C and zinc also help to repair cellular damage from the inside out, which makes for a healthy mane.

Unfortunately, there’s no magic solution, pill or product that will correct hair loss entirely. But if you think of your hormones as a cast of characters, knowing which ones are leading the show and which ones are only playing a supporting role can help you get to the bottom of the issue.  Manage your stress levels and get enough sleep. This will help with general hormone balance and can protect your precious locks from any further damage.

Find Sara's article here!

Spring Superfood Smoothie (recipe inside)

Smoothie Recipe Key Beauty Ingredient: Superfoods!

Benefits of Superfoods: Superfoods are nutrient-dense foods that pack large doses of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and polyphenols. I’ve included some of my favorites, all blended into this tasty smoothie that will help reveal fresh and dewy skin just in time for spring.

• Pumpkin Seeds – Filled with amino acids and unsaturated fats including skin-loving omega-3’s.

• Lucuma – This low-glycemic sweetener contains many nutrients including beta-carotene, iron, zinc, vitamin B3, calcium and protein. Has a lovely maple flavor.

• Maca – Amazing adaptogenic-like qualities nurture and balance the body’s endocrine system. It also energizes naturally and can aid in reproductive function, helping to balance hormones and increase fertility.

• Bee Pollen – This food of the young bee is approximately 40% protein. It is considered one of nature’s most completely nourishing foods. It can help alleviate seasonal allergies (but must be taken 6 weeks before and throughout the season).

• Spirulina – Part of the blue/green algae family, it is one of the most nutritious and concentrated food sources on the planet. It’s a whopping 65% protein with anti-inflammatory amino acids. It can also help with seasonal allergies.

• Chia Seeds – The single richest source of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids and its soluble and insoluble fiber helps keep digestion moving supporting proper elimination and therefore detoxification.

• Blueberries – Besides being delicious, they are filled with phytochemicals, flavinoids and soluble fiber to tame inflammation and boost beauty.

Spring Superfood Smoothie Directions: 

Fill blender with…

• 10 oz pumpkin seed milk (get the recipe HERE)

• 1 handful of leafy greens (curly kale, spinach or romaine)

• 1 tsp lucuma

• 1 tsp maca

• 1 tsp bee pollen

• ½ tsp spirulina

• 1 tsp chia seeds

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ¼ cup frozen organic blueberries

• ¼ avocado

• 2-3 large ice cubes

• Pinch of sea salt

• Stevia to taste

Blend ingredients until smooth and enjoy your organic Spring Superfood Smoothie.

Blog Post by Laurisa Truemper and Organic Beauty Talk

A missing link! Vitamin K2 and your Skin + Bone Health!

Vitamin K2 and it's amazing role in our 'Beautiful Health" both internal and external.

New evidence has confirmed that vitamin K2′s role in the body extends far beyond blood clotting to include protecting us from heart disease, ensuring healthy skin, forming strong bones, promoting brain function, supporting growth and development and helping to prevent cancer – to name a few. In fact, vitamin K2 has so many functions not associated with vitamin K1 that many researchers insist that K1 and K2 are best seen as two different vitamins entirely.

Vitamin K2′s role in the body includes protecting us from heart disease, forming strong bones, promoting brain function, supporting growth and development and helping to prevent cancer – to name a few. It performs these functions by helping to deposit calcium in appropriate locations, such as in the bones and teeth, and prevent it from depositing in locations where it does not belong, such as the soft tissues. One of the health benefits of vitamin K2 not often discussed is its role in ensuring healthy skin, and this vitamin is likely beneficial for preventing wrinkling and premature aging.

Adequate dietary vitamin K2 prevents calcification of our skin’s elastin, the protein that gives skin the ability to spring back, smoothing out lines and wrinkles.  This is because K2 is necessary for activation of matrix proteins that inhibit calcium from being deposited in elastin fibers and keeping these fibers from hardening and causing wrinkles. In fact, recent research suggests that people who cannot metabolize vitamin K end up with severe premature skin wrinkling.   Vitamin K2 is also necessary for the proper functioning of vitamin A- and D- dependent proteins. As I discussed in the first article in this series, vitamin A is essential for proper skin cell proliferation, and cannot work properly if vitamin K2 is not available. Therefore, vitamin K2 is important in the treatment of acne, keratosis pillaris, and other skin symptoms of vitamin A deficiency.

It’s important to get adequate amounts of dietary vitamin K2, particularly if trying to heal the skin or prevent wrinkles.

Foods high in vitamin K2

• Natto

• Hard cheese

• Soft cheese

• Egg yolk

• Butter

• Chicken liver

• Salami

• Chicken breast

• Ground beef

It is important to note that commercial butter and other dairy products are not significantly high sources of vitamin K2, as most dairy cattle in our country are fed grains rather than grass. It is the grazing on vitamin K1-rich grasses that leads to high levels of vitamin K2 in the dairy products of animals, so be sure to look for grass-fed dairy products when trying to increase your intake of vitamin K2. (11)

A great all-around supplement for skin health is Green Pasture’s Fermented Cod Liver Oil and Butter Oil blend. It has a great mix of vitamins A, D, K2, and omega-3s in the proper ratios to help maximize skin health, especially in people with acne.

New research has expanded our understanding of the many important roles of vitamin K2.  Proof is being published at a rapid pace to bring clarity to one of the most poorly understood by medical authorities and the general public.

For more information on VK2 and how to source this supplementally, contact us at Kassie@kasiaorganicsalon.com. 

Guest Post Reference For more information on VK2 - head over to Chris's Blog: http://chriskresser.com/vitamin-k2-the-missing-nutrient

One reason why you may not getting a good night's sleep!

Did you wake up at 3:00 again this morning? Turns out, your blood sugar may be to blame.

There are a few common types of insomnia.  You might suffer from one or more of these slumber stoppers, and each has a distinct cause.

For years researchers at the Vancouver-based Canadian Centre For Functional Medicine heard the same comment from participants in their weight loss trials: “I’m sleeping better”.  Since these were weight loss studies and not sleep studies, researchers didn’t pay too much attention to this added benefit at first. Then they began to employ a new technology that monitored participants’ blood sugar levels continuously for periods of 24 hours and longer. That revealed trends in blood sugar changes that had never been seen before, and it led to an astonishing realization: in most cases waking at 3 am is not a true sleep problem, it’s a blood sugar problem.

Here’s what happens. When people gain weight, especially abdominal fat, blood sugar levels gradually begin to fluctuate more in response to eating. Although you’ve likely heard that having high blood sugar is a bad thing (and it is), in fact, it’s rapidly falling blood sugar that will produce noticeable symptoms.

When blood sugar plummets 2 things happen:

1. Special brain cells (glial cells) that monitor the glucose levels will drive you to EAT. And not carrots or celery, either. Those craving will be for sweet or starchy foods that will get your glucose back up fast. Do you often feel like snacking from dinner until bedtime, or crave sweets in the evening? That’s a sure sign you are on the blood sugar roller coaster.

2. The adrenal glands produce adrenalin. This is an emergency blood sugar raising tactic. An adrenalin surge during sleep will wake you up.

As it turns out, people experiencing glycemic fluctuation during the day are prone to a blood sugar crash while they are sleeping, at about 3:00 am, and this causes waking in the middle of the night.

What if you are waking in the middle of the night but you’re not overweight, maybe even on the thin side? Keep reading, slimmy, I’m getting to you. Some (usually thin) individuals report that they need to eat every three hours or they experience hypoglycemic symptoms – they might even carry snacks or hard candy for “emergencies”. If this describes you, then you are also on the blood sugar roller coaster and will benefit from my advice.

Ok, so now you know why you wake in the middle of the night, what are you going to do about it? Stabilize your blood sugar.

1. Avoid high-glycemic index foods that will cause your blood sugar to spike (sugar, white flour, pop, juice, sugary drinks). Chose whole, unprocessed, foods without added sugar.

2. Eat regular meals and don’t skip breakfast. In fact, what you eat for breakfast will set the tone for your blood sugar for the rest of the day, so make it a good one.

3. Have some protein, some fat and lots of fiber* with each meal. These three elements will keep your sugar stable.

4. Take chromium. 200 micrograms daily helps your body use insulin better and reduces with sugar cravings.

 When is comes to dietary fiber, we often think of bran. Bran is insoluble fiber, and although it will improve regularity and contribute to colon health, it won’t stabilize your blood sugar. That job belongs to soluble fiber, the invisible, complex polysaccharide found in whole, unprocessed fruit, veggies, legumes, nuts and seeds. Soluble fiber will absorb water to form a natural fiber gel in the stomach. The gel will combine with sugar to release it more slowly into the blood stream, buffering the impact on blood sugar levels.

Blood sugar stabilizing will still help you, but you might need some additional support. Contact a professional to correctly test your cortisol, hormones, and current baseline of health to make the transformation that will give life - back to you.

Guest Post:  doctor kt nd dot com  (DrKateND.com)