Category Archives: Nutriention

Post Bariatric Diet

The bariatric surgery diet is the food plan that you will be following for the first 8 weeks following gastric bypass surgery. This surgery can give you a new lease on life, but a big part of that will be up to you. How well you follow what you learned in your prep classes will be a big determining factor in how much weight you lose and how much of that weight loss you will have maintained five years later. For the first 9-12 months, the weight will come off easily. After that, it will be up to you to continue the weight loss or to maintain what you have lost.

The gastric bypass diet starts out with clear liquids and this is really no different than the diet following many surgeries. You will be on this part of the diet for the first day or two. By the third day, you should be eating at step 2 part of the gastric bypass diet. This is the part of the diet is easy to follow, but you will probably be tired of it before it is time for you to move on to the next step of the diet. Step 2 consists of liquid protein, baby food or strained pureed foods. You can have any or all of these types of foods, but that is it. If you have to chew it, it does not step 2 and you shouldn’t be eating it at this point in the bariatric diet. This step can last from 2 to 8 weeks.

Balanced diet, healthy food concept

Step 3 is where you begin eating real food again. You will start with soft foods…things that will be easy on your stomach that is still tender. Make sure that all foods are well chewed. Your food should be liquid before it is swallowed. Try different things, but go easy at first. Proceed with caution. Overeating can cause vomiting and not chewing well enough can cause severe pain. Make sure that you avoid drinking 30 minutes before eating and 30 minutes after eating. Eating can actually be frustrating at this time. It is a time-consuming process because everything has to be chewed so well.

You should be consuming 60 grams of protein each day and 32 ounces of liquids. Eating can be a full-time job during the first several months. By the end of the eighth week, you should be eating almost all foods, but meats will be difficult and should be cut into small pieces. There are foods that can present problems. Fats and sugar will be the most difficult and you may always have to avoid these foods in any quantity. Eating these foods in excess can cause pain and may also cause dumping syndrome.

Getting through this diet and back to eating regular foods is a process and you will get through it. Your weight loss surgery will give you an opportunity to do things that you may not have been able to do in years. It is a tool and that is how it should be used!


The Night Owl Effect and Your Health

Some people wake up early, fresh, and roaring to go. Others, on the other hand, are not morning people. They keep late nights, and would rather wake up a few hours later. Coffee may be the first thing that makes up their early morning ritual, and they tend to do their best work from late afternoon until well into the night. These are those for whom the term ‘night owl’ has been coined.

Differences Between a Night Owl and an Early Bird

Studies show that, when comparing those who get up early and those who go to sleep late, the two groups tend to show certain differing personality traits.

People who get up early, for example, have a tendency to not tire as quickly as their night owl counterparts. They are more persistent, and more able to resist frustration and difficulties, while they also tend to have less anxiety and depression. They also seem to have less of a likelihood of abusing alcohol and/or drugs.

A night owl, on the other hand, and also, generally speaking, tends to be more extravagant, impulsive, and temperamental. People in this group are also more likely to have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), suffer from insomnia, and have a higher tendency towards mental disorders and addiction. This includes antisocial tendencies and mental disorders.

Two possible reasons for the differences between these two groups have been determined. The first is that your genes play a role in determining your inner circadian rhythm. This refers to your inner clock that regulates both your sleep and physiological processing. Interestingly, a number of studies have linked the genes governing your circadian rhythm to a number of mood disorders, the occurrence of schizophrenia, and drug misuse.

The second possible reason is when your biological clock and that of society become unsynchronized. When this happens, people tend to have to force themselves into a certain pattern of behavior in order to adapt to the schedule commonly kept by everyone else and what is considered the social norm. Someone classified as a night owl may find this difficult, and over time, develop anxiety or depression (as well as other disorders as previously mentioned).

But being a night owl also has its positive side. This group includes those who tend to be more creative. The downside, however, is that they have a much higher mortality rate, i.e. they are more prone to die at an earlier age than their early bird counterparts.

The Night Owl Gene

Many a night owl will tell you they prefer to work at night, as they have the quiet they need to concentrate better without distractions. Others might tell you they prefer the dark to the light. The reasons they may come up with as to why they stay up so late may all differ. Researchers, however, have determined that most night owls have one thing in common – a mutated gene. To be more specific, a variant of the CRY1 gene that slows down your circadian clock. The result is someone who gets tired and is ready to sleep much later at night.

It is your circadian clock that determines your sleeping and waking patterns. In those who have the night owl mutated CRY1 gene, their circadian rhythm is extended. In other words, their bodies are programmed to stay up later than other people. Interestingly, research indicates that this gene mutation may affect up to as much as one in every 75 people.

Night Owl Studies

It is estimated that up to seventy million U.S. citizens alone suffer from some type of sleeping disorder. Included amongst these are those suffering from various related conditions such as insomnia and narcolepsy. People with sleeping disorders of whatever kind are more predisposed towards diabetes, obesity, and depression. Being a night owl is often associated with what is known as delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD), where the sleep and wake cycle is delayed. This usually leaves these people feeling energized long after other people have already gone to bed. Of course, this implies they would wake up later in the morning. Studies have linked the night owl gene mutation to DSPD, a neurological sleep disorder where the sleep/wake cycle is delayed when compared to the regular day/night cycle.

Society, however, has people waking up at a certain time to get to work, school, or for other activities at a certain time in the morning, resulting in night owls usually not getting the recommended eight hours of sleep per night. The end result is not only too little sleep but someone who is tired for the greater part of the day.

But not only is the circadian rhythm of those with the night owl gene affected, their body temperature and hormones also seem to be affected, most particularly, melatonin. Melatonin plays an important role in sleep regulation, with levels increasing around the time most people go to sleep. In the case of a night owl, the melatonin levels may only go up in the early hours of the morning.

How a Hormone Imbalance Contributes to the Night Owl Effect

Being a night owl may have devastating consequences to your neuroaffective circuit. This circuit is part of your body’s NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response, i.e. your body’s automatic response to stress which results in the increase in cortisol and other stress-related hormones. When stress is continuous in nature, this increase in cortisol production may be long-term, with devastating implications for your health and well-being. One of these consequences is a hormonal imbalance.

Night owls, specifically, have a tendency towards a deficiency in melatonin. Symptoms commonly associated with a melatonin insufficiency may relate to Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome. Amongst these symptoms are included

  • DSPD (night owl effect)
  • Insomnia
  • Memory loss
  • Depression
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
  • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
  • Osteoporosis
  • Acid reflux
  • Infertility
  • Menopausal issues
  • Stress

Where Does Melatonin Come From?

Night owl effect and melatonin

Melatonin is synthesized and secreted by the pineal gland which is found in the brain. The main function of this hormone is to communicate information about lighting to the different parts of the body. In so doing, it plays an integral part in your body’s biological rhythm and has an impact on your reproductive and many other body functions.

The pineal gland itself is located more or less in the upper central part of the brain, where it uses serotonin to make melatonin. In other words, serotonin is the precursor of melatonin and is a neurotransmitter that is derived from tryptophan, an amino acid. Interestingly, tryptophan plays a role in appetite suppression as well.

Cortisol Impacts Melatonin Production

Serotonin also plays a role in cortisol production. Under normal circumstances, when your body is in a state of balance, this poses no problem. During periods of stress, however, your body produces more cortisol, utilizing more of your available serotonin. This usually poses no problem as a balance is once more maintained once the stressful situation passes. Constant stress, however, leads to an imbalance regarding the production of melatonin as increasing amounts of serotonin are reserved for cortisol production in the adrenal glands. The end result is a steady decline in melatonin, and of course, a skewering of your internal circadian rhythm which leads to many people becoming what is commonly referred to as ‘night owls’.

Addressing the Issue

You would think that by increasing your tryptophan intake your body would produce more serotonin and that this would allow your pineal gland to up its melatonin production. While suffering from adrenal fatigue this might be true, but you also have the possibility that even more cortisol may be produced.

It is not uncommon for those practicing conventional medicine to prescribe 5-hydroxytryptophan for those with sleeping issues. This is a chemically modified form of the amino acid tryptophan. Abuse of this supplement, however, may result in neurological damage and may result in a condition known as serotonin syndrome – characterized by an excess of serotonin. Tryptophan is present in many foods, so diet may be more beneficial in upping these reserves in order to help in balancing your melatonin (and other hormones) production. Besides getting the necessary tryptophan your body requires for the production of serotonin and melatonin, a good diet also provides you with the other essential amino acids, healthy fats, and vitamins and minerals your body requires in order to function at an optimal level. In so doing, you also get the calories needed to help combat fatigue, get rid of food cravings, and balance your blood sugar levels.

Night owl effect and protein

While tryptophan is present in plants, animal protein sources generally have more concentrated amounts of this and other amino acids. Combining your protein with unrefined carbohydrates helps tryptophan cross your blood-brain barrier, and in so doing, boost serotonin (and thus melatonin) levels.

Foods That Contain Large Amounts of Tryptophan Include, Amongst Others:

  • Red meat
  • Beans and legumes
  • Potatoes
  • Eggs
  • Dairy products
  • Walnuts, cashew nuts, and sesame seeds
  • Bananas

In Closing

Please note that being a night owl is not a psychological disorder. Instead, it is a neurological disorder that may be the result of a gene mutation. It could, however, lead to certain psychological issues because a night owl may very often get too little sleep. While you cannot change the makeup of your genes, you can do much to try and manage this condition in a natural, effective manner.

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Should You Be Avoiding Healthy Foods? It May be Good for Your Health

Obviously, you shouldn’t actually be avoiding healthy foods, but there are some “health foods” that aren’t all that healthy; some may even be very toxic to your health. In fact, some of these “healthy” foods constantly trigger the bodies immune system, which can lead to chronic inflammation. This is just the grounds of Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome needs to develop. Let’s take a look at the 16 most dangerous foods that are thought to be healthy, and consider their impact on the AFS and Neuroendometabolic (NEM) system; the last one may really surprise you.

Avoiding Healthy Foods and Their Role in AFS

What are AFS and the NEM system?

In brief, AFS is a condition that affects the adrenal organs, which are a component of the NEM system. The NEM system is a way of looking at the network of organs, nerves and other systems that make up the body. Each part of the NEM system is connected to the other parts, and each is impacted by the proper function or dysfunction of each part.

AFS itself is expedited by consistent worry from the condition of your environment, and your internal well-being. The adrenal framework is accountable for the “fight or flight” response, which has evolved to keep you away from danger, by creating hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. In any case, chronic stress taxes the adrenal organs and can prompt AFS as a result of a wear out of the adrenal organs, and if left unchecked, can cause dysfunctions in other parts of the NEM system.

Why avoiding healthy foods may be healthy.

Health crazes come and go, almost every week there is some new superfood or a healthy alternative to add to our diets. These foods, however, are not often tested and may not be what we first think. Unfortunately, it often takes years for people to figure out which foods aren’t actually healthy. Avoiding so-called healthy foods which actually have many negative impacts on the body can be beneficial to your health, and could alleviate the work required by your adrenal glands and the NEM system as a whole.

Many of the foods on this list cause inflammation, irritation and can stress the body in many different ways. Avoiding these foods can lead to a less stressed NEM system allowing you to live a happier, healthier, more energetic life.

You Should Be Avoiding Healthy Foods, That is on This List:

Fruit juice

Avoiding healthy foods: fruit juice

Yes, occasional juice can certainly be beneficial, but too much fruit juice can be harmful. Consuming an 8-ounce glass of orange juice is the equivalent of eating 4 oranges worth of sugar in moments. This puts parts of your NEM system, particularly the pancreas and liver in stress, as well as spiking blood sugar. This process day after day can really cause a lot of stress on the body.


I know this one hurts because we always thought sushi was a healthy alternative, and in some ways it still is. However many varieties of sushi are not a low-calorie food. Those tiny rolls may not look like much, but in fact, they are much bigger than they appear. Just one California roll, just one, has as much imitation crab as two sandwiches.

You may then opt for the vegetable tempura, but that is another calorie packed order. A typical order of vegetable tempura can have 1,600 calories and 60% of those are from fat. Crazy right?

To avoid packing on the calories at the sushi bar,

  • Ask the cook to go lite on the rice
  • Be sure to order a side salad
  • Go light on the sodium packed soy sauce
  • Avoid fried and tempura options, as delicious as they may be!


With fewer calories than chips, and a simple ingredient list it can seem like pretzels are a healthy alternative. While it is true there isn’t nearly as many calories or fat, there isn’t much else either. Pretzels hold almost no nutritional value, but still, require your body’s work to digest them.

Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are one of the most dangerous “health foods”. They are supposedly better than sugar because a low sugar diet is a good right? Although it is certainly a good idea to keep sugar intake to a minimum, artificial sweeteners are not healthy in the least.

In studies, daily use of artificial sweeteners in diet soda has been linked to a 67% increased risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Yes, that’s right, “diet soda” has been found to increase the risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes.

And that is not all, these sweeteners are clinically linked to:

  • Allergies
  • Bladder and breast cancer
  • Brain tumors
  • Headaches
  • Hypertension
  • Lymphomas/leukemia
  • Seizures
  • Weight gain/obesity

Artificial sweeteners impact the neuroendometabolic (NEM) system in so many ways that they should be avoided at all costs. Artificial sweeteners may be one of the worst foods you can eat if you are looking to avoid or alleviate AFS. Maybe now you are starting to see why you should be avoiding healthy foods.

Sugar Alcohols

Commonly found in sugar-free gum and sugar-free baked goods, sugar alcohols like xylitol, erythritol and others may not be the healthiest foods you thought they were. Though not as harmful as artificial sweeteners, these sugars have been linked to Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), headaches, allergies, gas, rashes and bloating. Though likely not quite as harmful as artificial sweeteners, they are certainly something to consider avoiding.

Instead: Try Stevia, raw honey or monk fruit. In moderation of course.

Spinach Wraps and Pasta

Avoiding healthy foods: Spinach wraps

Avoiding healthy foods may seem silly until you realize just how many ways you as a consumer have been tricked. Spinach pasta and spinach wraps may seem like a healthy alternative to whole wheat wraps, but in reality, there is little to no difference between the two. It’s not that spinach pasta and wraps aren’t healthy, it’s that they are no healthier than their whole wheat cousins.

‘Atlantic’ Salmon and Farm-Raised Fish

Farm raised fish, like salmon, is not nearly as healthy as their wild-caught counterparts. Not only are chemicals often added to help them retain their color, farm-raised fish is devastating for the environment. Farm raised fish also contains much less fatty acid and nutrients than wild caught fish.

In October of 2016, a study found that levels of omega-3 in farmed raised salmon was half of what it was 5 years prior. Much of this had to do with the decreased anchovy content of their food.

The University of New York in Albany found that environmental pollutants, dioxin, in particular, were found at levels 11 times higher than levels in wild-caught salmon.

A Food and Water Watch aquaculture report in 2011 noted several concerning statistics. Hundreds of thousands of farm-raised fish make it out into the wild. It’s not just the fish that are escaping either, these fish carry with them parasitic “super lice” which are not killed by even the harshest chemicals. It’s not just the lice either, they carry with them diseases that nearby fish populations cannot endure.

In 2015, the FDA approved the sale of genetically engineered salmon, and sellers of this fish are not required to label them. Approval was granted despite the fact that the salmon did not grow as fast as the creator had claimed.

Instead of eating farm raised fish, chose wild-caught salmon, Atlantic Mackerel, and Pacific Sardines.

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