Snooze you lose…true story. The more you sleep, and the better quality your sleep is, the better your fat burning hormones will work. Cortisol, a stress hormone that kicks in to keep you going when you don’t go to bed, increases insulin sensitivity and signals the body to store fat, making it difficult for you to lose weight.

Here are a few facts regarding lack of sleep….

• Just one week of short sleep (5 hrs) drops testosterone 10-15%
• Accelerates aging
• Disrupts hormonal balance
• Increases risk of insulin resistance
• Lowers IQ
• Promotes Cravings
• Stimulates appetite
• Increases belly fat
• Increases fat loss resistance

How is your sleep? Do you require a medication, alcohol, or sleep aid that helps you to sleep? If so, your sleep is compromised.

Healthy sleep habits involve falling asleep naturally, staying asleep, and waking naturally. Many people do not sleep well in part due to lack of proper nutrition.

Sleep involves a whole system of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters that are fueled by nutrients from the diet such as amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids. Consuming good quality organic lean animal protein, loads of leafy greens and brightly colored veggies, fish, eggs, healthy fats from fish and coconut, etc. can help. However, many people are very low on these important brain nutrients, and need to boost them through supplementation. It’s a much more natural way to support sleep, non-addictive, and healthier because it is how your sleep system is designed to work.

You can learn more about healthy sleep by visiting my facebook page at www.facebook.com/muffintopmakeover

Sleep well!

1. Low fat is best.

This old-school way of thinking is now being looked at with new perspective by  many health researchers and professionals. For starters, what happens when you remove fat from a product? Not only do you denature it, but you also remove taste, which is why many low fat products are highly processed with added sugars, fake sugars, and artificial sweeteners. Fact is, since the low-fat craze hit the scene, Americans have only gotten fatter. (hint- blame sugar, not fat) More importantly, we need fat. Lots of it. Healthy fats, though, such as avocado, nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, and yes, even butter. Quality is important — I recommend butter from grass fed cows, and oils that are minimally processed and organic. Fats from animals can be part of a healthy diet as long as they are from clean, animal sources and not processed in a way that makes them unhealthy. Think wild and organic. Think full fat from natural and organic sources.

2.  Eggs increase risk of heart disease.

Not! In fact, eggs have quite the opposite effect on health. With healthy fats, biotin, antioxidants, and more, egg yolks are one of the healthiest foods you can consume. Repeat after me, “Dietary cholesterol is not a main cause of raising cholesterol in the blood.” In fact, eggs help raise “good” cholesterol and provide loads of other great health benefits. So eat your yolks, folks!

3.  Fats/Saturated fats are bad for you.

I find this one especially interesting, because while many people can tell you that saturated fats are bad, most cannot even tell you what a saturated fat is. Saturated fats are an important part of a healthy diet. It’s unfortunate that some past research came out inconclusively pointing to fat (especially saturated fat) as the cause of heart disease. Well, we now know that we were blaming the wrong fats. It’s the processed and trans fats that are the problem. Natural saturated fats are not only OK, they are actually an important part of a healthy diet. So eat your coconut oil, which is a medium chain triglyceride, a fat that burns like a carb. It’s great for the metabolism in addition to having great viral and bacterial fighting abilities.

4.  Everyone should be eating grains.

Ugh. This is my biggest gripe as far as nutrition myths go…. Trust me when I tell you, you can live without grains. In fact, you would be a lot healthier if you would give up grains all together. Grains, in general, deliver little nutrition and they tend to be very pro-inflammatory. Many people are intolerant to grains and have a difficult time digesting them. There are better ways to get your nutrients per calorie. Try fruits, veggies, seeds, lean proteins and healthy fats. Americans are addicted to their grains. Try going grain free (The book “Practical Paleo” is a good resource) for a month, and watch your energy go up and your waistline go down.

5.  Sugar substitutes are okay.

Sugar is way over consumed, we all know that. So in an effort to do the right thing many people purchase sugar substitutes such as Splenda and Equal. Well, let me tell you, not only are they not equal, they are actually even worse for you than sugar. They are highly processed substitutes that are found to promote weight gain, and in some cases to be neurological problems. Don’t have sweetened drinks as part of your daily routine. Aspartame, which has been linked to neurological issues, is found today in almost all gum, breath mints and diet sodas. Do your research and learn about the various sugar substitutes on the market, and when you do, be sure to know who is putting out the research. I like Mercola.com. There is also a great book recently out called “Fat Chance” by Dr. Robert Lustig.

Well, there you have it, a few nutrition myth busters to start you on your way to better health.  Give them a try for 30 days and see how you feel.  Until next month…be well.

I typically discourage people from going big on the resolutions when it comes to weight loss. There is a reason why the vast majority of weight loss resolutions fail, and I believe it’s because resolutions are simply just that — resolutions. Declarations of change rarely supported by a plan large enough to support the goal.

Weight loss is not an easy task and there are many variables that go into losing weight and keeping it off beyond counting calories. The endocrine system is ground zero for weight loss success and there are many factors that must be address in order to have a healthy, balanced endocrine system. Most of those factors involve lifestyle habits and environmental factors that slowly create endocrine balances over time. Therefore, in order to reverse the fat storing pattern we are in, we need to create a situation that will allow for repair and rebalancing of our fat regulating hormones.

Here is my list of lifestyle changes you can make each month for the next 12 months that should have a positive impact on your fat burning hormones. Initiate one new habit per month, and by the end of the year you will have developed 12 new daily habits to keep your fat regulating hormones happy.

January. Drink half your body weight in clean natural source spring water per day. (A pint of water weighs one pound.)

February. Get a pedometer and walk a minimum of 10,000 steps per day. Eventually incorporate speed walking, stairs and hills as much as possible.

March. Lift heavy weights 3-4 times per week. Studies show that building lean mass burns fat.

April. Remove all sugary (and fake sugary) drinks from your diet. Drink water and unsweetened teas…. OK, and a little good quality coffee and wine too!

May. Buy and consume organic at least 80 percent of the time.

June. Get Vitamin D daily! Studies show big correlation between obesity and lack of Vitamin D. The best source is to expose your skin to sun 20 minutes per day. You can also supplement under supervision of your medical practitioner.

July. Eat one organic salad per day.

August. Eat dinner for breakfast. Replace simple breakfast carbs such as cereal and muffins with meat and veggies from the night before.

September. Get to sleep by 10 p.m.

October. Do a liver cleanse, and do them quarterly going forward.

November. Replace a meal with a clear broth soup with veggies.

December. Drink alcohol only on weekends.

There you have it. Twelve habits that are sure to help improve the functioning of your fat burning hormones in 2013… the resolution that lasts. I hope you will stay committed to your health this year – it’s the best thing you can do for your family.

My message of health for you as we move into 2013 is a simple one, yet, if you take it to heart, it could have a big impact on your life. So read on, my friends, and take a moment for some self-reflection.
This upcoming year I urge you to put time and energy into getting educated about how to live a healthier lifestyle. Seriously, if you really want to look and feel better, you must be willing to put in the effort and sacrifice that it takes to change your life.

I believe the reason most people fail in their health endeavors is because they do not understand that education is the key to shift to a life of healthy balance. Contrary to what many believe, it’s not counting calories and fat grams, or spending an hour a day on the treadmill. Studies have shown over and over that those kinds of programs work temporarily, but long-term success is based on the level of knowledge of the individual.

Knowledge is power, and it is the motivation needed for lasting change. The sad reality, however, is that there is a lot of bad information out there about what is actually healthy for us. So it’s no wonder people fail in their health resolutions within the first 30 days of the year.

How, then, do you get properly educated? I started by enrolling in a well-known nutrition coaching program. I decided to pay the money and dedicate my time to learning about holistic nutrition and healthy living from some of the top nutrition experts in the country. You many not want to do that, however, so the next best thing is to find a good coach or mentor who can lead you to the right information. Fortunately, it is an area that is really growing. There are some fantastic resources on line, such as Mercola.com, and Naturalnews.com.

As a nutrition coach, I am starting the year off with a series of lectures for the community at EA’s Crossfit to help people get on the right track. I hope you will join me. There is nothing better than a learning environment with a supportive community for making change. Contact me at hmorgansonoma@gmail.com for more information.

I look forward to being of support to you in 2013. So check me out here in the SUN or listen to my local live radio show on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. at SUN FM 91.3. I am here as a resource to help educate you to a better way of living.

Wishing you all a joyous holiday season and a happy and healthy 2013.

One of the things I love most about Sonoma is it’s care and compassion for doing the right thing. I witnessed this during the past election when so many people came out to support the idea of understanding more about GMO foods. I’m not talking specifically about whether or not people voted for Prop 37, I’m talking about the awareness and concern about the issue. I witnessed many conversations, emails, posts, etc., of people asking great questions, sharing meaningful thoughts and providing well-intended answers. Way to go, Sonoma.

I am a nutrition geek, as most of you know. I have a passion for healthy living and for education when it comes to food quality. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that for the past several years I have become more and more concerned about the effects of GMO’s on our heath. So in light of the recent election, I want to share with you some simple food for thought (pun intended) and resources to help you to understand the serious dangers of GMO foods on our health.

Science has proven that there is a correlation between the increasing amount of food intolerances and genetically modified foods. In the recent documentary by “ Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives,” Jeffrey Smith reveals how the Bt toxin in genetically modified foods destroys the digestive tract of mammals. As a nutrition coach and practitioner who tests people for food intolerances, I have seen big increases of food intolerances over the past 10 years.

According to NaturalNews.com, a staggering 40 percent of the US population now suffers from gluten intolerance in one form or another. Taking into account that gluten sensitivity has risen sharply over the past 20 years, researchers and food safety advocates are now looking into the role that GMO’s play in this dramatic spike.
Many studies reflect an increasing concern over male infertility and GMO’s. Another health related health concern with GMO foods is weight gain. There are several reasons why GMO’s make you fat, including the damage they do to your gut and the presence of food intolerances. The body is way smarter than we give it credit for, and when given something that is trying to “pretend” to be the real thing, the body sees that as a stressor and creates a stress response. The body chemicals involved in stress response create mid-section fat and even insulin resistance over time.

Understand that there is a lot of money and effort going into keeping you from knowing the truth about what GMO’s are doing to our health. Please take the time to find the truth, and to spread the word. There is nothing more important than your health.

Here is what you can do now:

Get informed/educated!

Shop local, organic, and ask questions when you do.

Read labels. Labels on fruits and veggies have a number system. If the item has a five digit number starting with 8, it is genetically modified.

Shop Whole Foods Market, who participates in the No GMO Project by labeling foods that are Non GMO Certified.

Unfortunately, GMO foods make up the vast majority of foods consumed by American’s today. You can avoid them by cooking at home and by shopping for foods that are Non GMO Certified.

Feel free to contact me if you would like to do a food intolerance test or to learn more about how to live a GMO-free lifestyle.

Heather Morgan, MS, NLC, can be reached at hmorgansonoma@gmail.com

From Grannies to people with disabilities, Crossfit can be adapted for everyone, no matter what their conditioning level. You join a class and modify the workouts until you get better and stronger, all the while improving your level of conditioning and getting closer to your goals. Gone are the days of aerobics classes and treadmills. There is a new approach to fitness that is backed by science and gets fast and lasting results.

EA Morgan, owner of EA’s Crossfit says, “Most people have never actually been conditioned in their lives. Some of us have been fit, and maybe even thin, but being conditioned prepares you for life. It keeps you strong and flexible so you avoid accidents and injuries.”
The Crossfit method has proven to be helpful for the nervous system, heart, brain, hormones, neurotransmitters, and so much more. The unpredictable, high intensity workouts keep your muscles and nervous system on it’s toes, so your body is constantly engaging in growth hormone and other repair systems to keep you young and fit.
Crossit gyms are called “boxes” and the people who Crossfit are called “athletes.” Because it is actually an official sport, (you can see the games and competitions on CNN Sports), Crossfit athletes can actually participate in games and competitions at many levels.
Crossfit is fun. Word on the street is that people who come out of their comfort zone and give it a try love it. EA’s Crossfit now has a community of over 100 athletes strong (pun intended), and they attest to the supportive, interactive, friendly community atmosphere that makes it worth the hard work.

And, finally, what I love most about Crossfit, is that they emphasize diet and much as they do exercise. They have a full nutrition and lifestyle coaching program that guides you in eating right in order to maximize results. I am honored to be the nutrition coach for EA’s Crossfit, and excited to have a weight loss program that educates and gets great results.
EA’s Crossfit will have an open house on Saturday, October 6, from 1 to 4 p.m. at 19698 Eight St. E. There will be live demos, athletes answering questions, myself, explaining about the Crossfit nutrition program. All new visitors to the event can join the Crossfit beginners series ($180 value) for free.

So come check out Crossfit and meet EA, who was voted among the Bay Area’s top personal trainers by the SF Examiner Magazine. His 20 plus years experience and high level of corrective exercise training will help you to finally become the conditioned person you were designed to be.

Here is my top 10 list for getting rid of the dreaded “Sonoma Summer Seven:”
1. Cut the beverages! YOU were designed to drink WATER. It’s that simple. Way too many of our calories come from beverages. Drink only water and unsweetened tea if you want to lose weight. And that does not mean you can have the fake sweeteners. They make you fat too! Oh, and cut out the alcohol until you reach your goal.

2. Increase your protein intake. Clean, organic, LEAN meats, fish, poultry.

3. If it had eyes or grew in the ground, eat it! If it didn’t, don’t!

4. If it came out of a box or a package, avoid it.

5. Cook and prepare the whole natural foods mentioned above. Try preparing soups and meals on Sundays so you have left overs during the week.

6. Quit eating out! Bring snacks and left overs with you.

7. Decrease your starchy carbs. This includes rice, corn, pastas, potatoes, breads, pastas, etc.

8. Lift heavy weight. If you are doing a lot of cardio and wondering why it’s not helping it’s because cardio makes you increase stress hormone, while breaking you down. It eats away at your lean mass verses the fat mass that you are wanting to burn!

9. Get a pedometer! Power walk. I love walking and recommend a minimum of 10,000 steps per day!

10. Get a partner or buddy. Studies show that partnering with someone when on a health program helps you to reach your goal. Be accountable to each other.

I highly recommend the Paleo Challenge (cave man diet and exercise) going on at EA’s CrossFit. It’s a nine-week program with the right kind of guided fitness program and diet. There is a big group of Sonomans doing it, and results are not an option. It begins September 17 and runs to mid-November. It’s not too late to join! Call 415.314.1399 and EA will give you the details. Also visit their facebook page for more info at facebook.com/eacrossfit.

Here’s to you looking and feeling your best!

Heather Morgan, MS, NLC
heathermorganxx@gmail.com

It’s easy to take for granted the brilliance of the human body and it’s ability to repair itself. But hear me when I say, your body has the ability to prevent, protect, and repair itself from daily damage that can lead to disease. Add in a good diet and you have the best defense system available to you. But what happens when you aren’t getting the amount and quality of sleep needed for optimal health?

Chronic sleep depravation due to the lack of either enough or good quality sleep usually up-regulates the hormone cortisol, which over time can lead to insulin resistance, weight gain, thyroid disorder, hormonal imbalances, cellular damage, brain fog – all of which can lead to more serious disease, advanced aging, and bodily break down.

If you are not feeling rested when you wake up in the morning and if you find yourself needing morning and afternoon “pick-me-ups,” then you are probably getting neither the right amount nor the correct quality of sleep.

Unfortunately, those “pick-me-ups” create a vicious cycle that leads to more poor quality sleep. Caffeine, sugar, rich foods, alcohol, lack of exercise, over-stimulating exercise too late in the evening, or getting to bed past 10 p.m. are all lifestyle habits that contribute to poor quality sleep.
One of the best things you can do for yourself is to make your sleep a main priority. Build your lifestyle habits around getting healthy sleep. Here are my healthy sleep lifestyle suggestions:

Exercise intensely earlier in the day
avoid caffeine and sugar after noon daily
avoid toxic chemicals and alcohol in your diet as much as possible
eat foods containing tryptophan, such as turkey, dairy, nuts, etc.
avoid excessive exercise later in the day
sleep by 10pm
engage in calming activities before bed such as a hot bath with lavender salts, meditation, sleepy tea, dim lights
make room completely dark for sleeping. Lights can block production of melatonin
supplement with magnesium, GABA, 5htp, and inositol, as guided by your health care professional.
make sure environment is not too stuffy, fresh air good for sleeping

What sleep habits have you learned to help you get better quality sleep? Stop on over to my Facebook page and let us know. Facebook.com/muffintopmakeover
Sleep well!

Let’s face it, part of what makes Sonoma so special is it’s wonderful community of people, it’s great farmers markets, public and private events, and awesome eating and wine tasting venues. Yet for those of us who live locally, this wonderful blessing can also be a curse, because along with the amazing social culture, can come over scheduling, over eating, over drinking, etc., which can result in stress on the body. How do you feel when you’ve been partying it up? I know after a few social engagements in a row, I am definitely needing to repair with my healthy smoothies, vitamin regime, sleep, and time in nature….how do you repair?

A good healthy living regime should always involve time to rest and repair from the stress of our daily routines. Yes, there is a physiological response to prolonged stress that can have serious implications on our health, including our hormones, thyroid, blood sugar regulation, digestion, and much more. The good news, though, is that you can actually do a great deal to prevent the serious damage that can happen when under prolonged stress.

It’s all about the 3 ‘R’s”: rest, replenish, and remove.

Stress comes in many forms. Poor diet, unhealthy emotions, being overwhelmed with too much on your plate, over exercising, poor sleep, exposure to toxic chemicals, and much more. Fact is, we all have stress, but how you manage the repair from the stress is the key to health living.
Rest – Do you get a minimum of eight solid hours of sleep per night? Do you take time to slow down and rest or nap each day for at least 30 minutes? Do you take days off between high intensity work outs, and limit high intensity work outs with a short duration, bursting type of approach allowing for repair? Do you listen to your body when it’s tired and give it extra rest?
Replenish – Do you eat lots of antioxidants and micro-nutrients such as those found in fruits and vegetables? Do you eat lots of healthy fats, such as avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil, coconut oil, and organic butter? Do you supplement with high quality B vitamins, Vitamin D, Co Q 10, Vitamin C and Zinc?

Another great supplement to help support repair is Protandim, which is a Nerf 2 activator, meaning it up-regulates our body’s own powerful antioxidants which are more powerful than antioxidants found in fruits such as blueberries. We burn through loads of vitamins and minerals when we are under stress, therefore we require a good amount to replenish on a daily basis. That is why every calorie you eat counts. Each calorie should be delivering health supportive nutrients to help you build back what you burned through while under stress. That is why we cannot afford to eat empty calories and packaged and processed foods that deliver little or no nutrition. Replenishing electrolytes with coconut water, tropical fruits, and even organic pickle juice can also be helpful.

Oh, and of course, protein, protein, and more protein.

Remove – Obviously, you want to identify what the stressors in your life are and make a lifestyle plan to minimize them. I have found that this is very useful when I do this with my clients. Often they do not even realize the daily stressors they are experiencing and how it is affecting their health. Once you have identified the stressors in your life and made a plan to minimize them, you are able to manage the stressors you are unable to control much easier.

If you have questions about managing stress through diet, supplements, or would like to do a stress survey to determine a plan of action, feel free to contact me at EA’s CrossFit facebook.com/eacrossfit.

I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing summer!
Heather Morgan, MS, NLC

I have worked as a weight loss coach for the past ten years and while lifestyle, including eating habits, seems to be the biggest contributor to weight gain, it’s the fat burning hormones that are affected by the poor lifestyle process that needs to be addressed. What this means is, not only do we need to address the behavioral root cause, we also need to address the biochemical root cause.

That said, success in a weight loss program is not just about counting calories. It may help with temporary weight loss, but it is education about food quality and a new mind-set of living a fat burning lifestyle that will keep the weight off. The process is not easy, as many of you may know, but I have seen people succeed for years. I have also seen people fail, and here is the difference between the two:

The people who keep the weight off take the time to get educated. They dedicate whatever time, energy, effort, and money is needed to fully change their lifestyle. They become the teacher. They embrace healthy living to the point of paying it forward, because their knowledge base becomes such that they could not live any other way.

The people who fail, yo-yo, fall off the program, etc., are those who start-off looking for a quick fix. Those who set aside a limited time to reach a goal, and those who spend the majority of their time counting calories, limiting foods, such as fats, and never take the time to learn how a body should properly be nourished.

So, if you have dieted in the past, ask your self these questions:

1) Was my diet about counting calories, limiting fat, or following some specific structured program?
2) Did the process involve education about food quality, traditional, common sense eating and cooking?
3) Did my weight loss involve understanding how toxins, stress, sleep, and sugars affect my fat burning hormones, and how to adapt my lifestyle to support healthy hormones?

If you said yes to number one, or no to numbers two or three, you were probably setting yourself up for failure. I encourage you to focus on numbers two and three for optimal health and weight management. Sure, you need to limit certain toxic foods and over consumption but, when choosing the right foods in the right balance, you will have lasting results.
The majority of the people give up when they don’t see the results they want right away, or life happens, stress hits, and they are not supported or equipped in the right way to stick to the healthy habits. Keep in mind that it takes a while to develop lasting, consistent habits, and it takes even longer to shift and rebalance hormonal systems. So make sure you are in it for life. Know that from the beginning, and get help through the process, so you don’t give up too soon. Do not determine a “time” at which you will quit, rather, determine that you are changing to a fat burning lifestyle, and adapt habits that will support your long term goals. Your physiology does not care too much about your expectations or timeline.

A few good resources are:

Muffintopmakeover.com
Metaboliceffect.com
Jjvirgin.com

Best of luck on your journey to a fat burning lifestyle.

Heather Morgan
heather@muffintopmakeover.com