Is the Root of Your Depression in Your Gut, Not Your Brain?

By now, it shouldn’t be news to you that there’s a connection between the gut and the brain—doctors and nutritionists will both back this up.  But a new book is making some bold claims about the matter, stating that gut inflammation is actually at the root of depression—and that the medical community’s current methods of treating the disease are all wrong.

“Not one valid study has proven that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain,” says Kelly Brogan, MD, a New York City-based holistic women’s health psychiatrist and author of the recently released A Mind of Your Own. 

Yeah, I raised my eyebrows at that one too. But hear her out: Dr. Brogan says science is showing us that depression is primarily an inflammatory condition, like chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. (In other words, its origins aren’t neurological.) Her belief is that the most powerful path to the brain is through the gut—and therefore treating depression with antidepressants that only affect the brain is akin to taking Tylenol for a piece of glass in your foot.

Complicating matters further is the issue of leaky gut, which Dr. Brogan calls one of the “most villainous of biological threats.” Here, levels of LPS (lipopolysaccharides—endotoxins found in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria like E. Coli) enter the bloodstream and can trespass the blood-brain barrier, which may then lead to inflammation in your brain—something else she links to depression.

Because of all this—and because she has firsthand witnessed the ineffectiveness of antidepressants among her patients—Dr. Brogan is adamant that lifestyle tweaks are significantly more effective in treating depression than medication. “In psychiatry, we always rush to manage symptoms” she says. “But this way, we miss the opportunity to understand potential reversible causes to that depression.”

Luckily, Dr. Brogan says that gut inflammation can be reversed with some simple diet and lifestyle shifts, all of which are sure to have a positive impact—whether you’re suffering from depression or not.

Seven things to reduce gut inflammation—and, in turn, improve your mental health.

1. Avoid processed foods

This one’s a no-brainer, but it’s worth repeating. “The manipulation that comes with processing foods brings a whole host of unrecognizable ingredients to our immune system,” says Dr. Brogan. “This can cause your body to produce inflammation.” Bonus points if you chow down on these whole foods, which are said to actually improve brain function.

2. Eliminate dairy, gluten, and sugar from your diet

We now know that sugar face is a thing, dairy causes acne, and gluten can cause a slew of health problems. Dr. Brogan calls these three the “big ticket items” with gut inflammation and depression. She notes that issues mainly come about when you eat these things in processed form (see #1 on this list), so don’t stress too much about eating that mango-banana smoothie bowl packed with fresh fruit for breakfast.

3. Eat plenty of natural fats

We repeat: FAT IS NOT BAD FOR YOU. In fact, omega-3s and omega-6s are actually critical for brain and immune function. Eat plenty daily (think cold-water fish, eggs, and nuts), as well as monounsaturated fats (olive oil, avocado, and almonds) and even saturated fats (ghee, dark chocolate, and coconut oil). 

4. Add probiotics and fermented foods to your diet

Working with the trillions of bacteria that inhabit our gut and orchestrate our digestion is key. Probiotics and fermented foods boost the good gut bacteria that regulate our immune systems and brain neurotransmitters. And to be efficient, please take a probiotic supplement daily.

5. Meditate—like, regularly

Data shows meditating stimulates the expression of anti-inflammatory genes and helps stabilize blood sugar—in addition to seriously calming your brain. . So I recommend meditating daily, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

6. Get enough sleep

Studies have shown that losing sleep results in daytime inflammation. Prioritize a pre-midnight bedtime to ensure you don’t skimp on ZZZs. And if you’re having trouble snoozing? Well, that could be related to your gut health, too —in which case, you’ll really want to follow the advice of tip #4 and stock up on fermented foods (or at the very least, go gut-friendly with your breakfast).

7. Exercise at least three times a week

Exercise is nature’s antidepressant. It can be a biological insurance plan against the bodily effects of stress.  But most people don’t realize one of its many benefits (most notably with HIIT) is that it positively stimulates your mitochondria, which have a direct correlation with your mental health.  So go on, find a workout you love and get physical!

~Thanks to Rachel Lapidos 

How Many Calories Should You Eat Per Day to Lose Weight?

This is a simple but highly accurate scientific calorie calculator, along with 5 evidence-based tips on how to sustainably reduce calorie intake.

Enter your details in the calculator below to figure out how many calories you should be eating in a day to either maintain or lose weight.

Standard units (US)Metric units

GenderFemaleMale

Age

Weight

Height

Activity— Select from the dropdown —Sedentary lifestyleSlightly activeModerately activeActive lifestyleVery active lifestyle

Maintain Weight: 1869

Lose Weight: 1495

Lose Weight Fast: 1121

The calculator is based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, a formula that has been shown to be an accurate way of estimating calorie needs in numerous studies.

How Many Calories Should I Eat on Average?

An average woman needs to eat about 2000 calories per day to maintan weight, and 1500 per day to lose one pound of weight per week. An average man needs 2500 calories per day to maintain weight, and 2000 to lose one pound per week.

However, this depends on numerous factors. These include age, height, current weight, activity levels, metabolic health and several others.

What Are Calories?

A calorie is a unit that measures energy. Calories are usually used to measure the energy content of foods and beverages. In order to lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than your body burns each day.

The Best Online Calorie Counters

Here is a list of free sites where you can insert the foods you are eating to keep track of your calorie intake: 5 Best Calorie Counter Websites and Apps.

All of them are available online and include apps for iPhone/iPad and Android devices.

It is highly recommended to use a calorie counter for at least a few days, to see how many calories, carbs, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins and minerals you are truly eating.

Seeing the numbers like this can often be an eye opener.

How to Reduce Calorie Intake Without Starving Yourself

Calories are simply a measure of energy. It is known that in order to gain weight, more calories need to be entering your body than leaving it. Conversely, if more calories leave your body than enter it, then you lose weight.

That being said, just cutting calories without regards to the foods you eat is usually not a sustainable way to lose weight. Although it works for some people, the majority of people end up hungry and eventually give up on their diet.

For this reason, it is highly recommended to make a few other permanent changes to help you maintain a calorie deficit in the long term, without feeling starved.

Here are 5 evidence-based diet/lifestyle changes that have been shown to help people lose weight in numerous studies.

1. Eating More Protein Can Reduce Appetite, Cut Cravings by 60% and Increase The Amount of Calories You Burn

When it comes to losing weight, protein is the king of nutrients.

Adding protein to your diet is the simplest, most effective and most delicious way to lose weight with minimal effort. Studies show that protein both increases your metabolic rate and helps reduce appetite. Because protein requires energy to metabolize, a high protein diet can increase calories burned by up to 80 to 100 calories per day.

Protein is also the most fulfilling nutrient, by far. One study showed that people who ate 30% of calories as protein automatically ate 441 fewer calories per day. In other words, you can easily increase calories out and reduce calories in… just by adding protein to your diet.

Protein can also help fight cravings, which are the dieter’s worst enemy.

In one study, 25% of calories as protein reduced obsessive thoughts about food by 60% and cut the desire for late-night snacking by 50%.

If you want to lose weight, sustainably, with minimal effort, then consider making a permanent increase in your protein intake. Not only will it help you lose, it will also prevent or at least significantly reduce weight regain, in case you ever decide to abandon your weight loss efforts.

Bottom Line: Increasing protein intake can boost metabolism, fight cravings and significantly reduce appetite. This can lead to automatic weight loss.

2. Avoid Sugary Soft Drinks (and Fruit Juices), The Most Fattening Items in The Modern Diet

Another relatively easy change you can make, is to eliminate liquid sugar calories from your diet. This includes sodas, fruit juices, chocolate milk and other beverages that have sugar in them.

These “foods” are probably the most fattening aspect of the modern diet, by far. This is because liquid calories don’t get “registered” by the brain in the same way as solid calories.

For this reason, drinking sugary soda doesn’t make your brain automatically compensate by having you eat less of other things instead.

Studies have shown that sugary drinks are strongly linked to an increased risk of obesity, with one study in children showing a 60% increased risk for each daily serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage.

Of course, the harmful effects of sugar go way beyond just weight gain. It can have disastrous effects on metabolic health and raise your risk of most every chronic disease.

Although small amounts of natural sugars from foods (like fruit) are absolutely fine, large amounts from added sugar and sugary drinks can be an absolute disaster. There is absolutely NO physiological need for these beverages and the long-term benefits of avoiding them can be enormous.

Bottom Line: It is important to avoid sugary soft drinks and fruit juices, because liquid sugar is the single most fattening aspect of the Western diet.

3. Drinking More Water Can Help With Weight Loss

One very simple trick to increase weight loss is to drink more water (1/2 your body weight in ounces). This can increase the number of calories you burn for up to 90 minutes.

Drinking about 2 liters (68 ounces, or 8 glasses) of water per day can make you burn about 96 more calories per day. But when you drink water may be even more important, because having it before meals can help reduce hunger and make you automatically eat fewer calories.

In one study, drinking a half liter (17 ounces) of water a half hour before meals made people lose 44% more weight over a period of 12 weeks. When combined with a healthy diet, drinking more water (especially before meals) does appear to be helpful if you need to lose weight. Caffeinated beverages such as coffee and green tea are also great, in moderation. Their caffeine helps boost metabolism, at least in the short term.

Bottom Line: Studies have shown that drinking water can boost metabolism. Drinking it a half hour before meals can help you eat fewer calories.

4. Do Some Exercise and Lift Weights

When we eat fewer calories, our bodies compensate by making us burn less. This is why long-term calorie restriction can significantly reduce metabolism.

Not only that, but it can also lead to loss of muscle mass. Muscle is metabolically active, so this can reduce metabolism even further.

Pretty much the only proven strategy to prevent this from happening is to exert your muscles by lifting weights. This has been repeatedly shown to prevent muscle loss and prevent your metabolism from slowing down during long-term calorie restriction.

Of course, we don’t want to just lose fat… we want to make sure that what is beneath also look good. If you can’t get to a gym, then consider doing some body weight exercises like push ups, squats, sit ups, etc. Doing cardio such as walking, swimming or jogging can also be important. Not so much for weight loss, but for optimal health and general wellbeing.

Of course, exercise also has a plethora of other benefits that go way beyond just weight loss… such as a longer life, lower risk of disease, more energy and feeling better every day.

Bottom Line: Lifting weights is important, because it inhibits muscle loss and prevents the metabolic rate from slowing down.

5. Reduce Carbohydrate Intake, Especially Refined Carbs and Sugars

Cutting carbs is a very effective way to lose weight.

When people do that, their appetite tends to go down and they eat fewer calories automatically.

Studies have shown that eating a low-carb diet until fullness can make you lose about 2-3 times as much weight as a calorie restricted low-fat diet.

Not only that, but low-carb diets also have other benefits for health, especially for people with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

But if you don’t want to go low carb, then that’s fine too. Just make sure you eat quality, fiber-rich carbohydrate sources… from whole, single ingredient foods.

Most importantly, if you stick to real foods, the exact composition of your diet becomes less important.

~Thanks to Kris Gunnars   

The Secret to Lasting Weight Loss

For over 12 years of my life, I spent my days criticizing my body, hating what I saw in the mirror, and berating myself for my imperfections. Negative thoughts about my body ran through my mind 24/7. I thought criticism and self-loathing were the way to “motivate” myself to get the body I desperately desired.

After years of keeping four different sizes in my closet and gaining/losing the same 60 pounds over and over again, I remember the morning I had a life-changing revelation.

I woke up for work, showered, and stood in front of the mirror naked, scrutinizing every inch of my body. I wanted to see if my stomach looked thinner, if my dieting had paid off, and if I could finally smile at the body I saw staring back at me.

That morning, I was the smallest I’d ever been. My size 2 pants were loose on me. I’d done it; I’d finally achieved what I’d been trying to do for so many years.

And yet, I looked in the mirror and had the same self-loathing thoughts I'd always had. I hated my stomach, thought my thighs were too fat, convinced myself I needed to lose even more weight, and believed that my belly needed to be hidden away from the world.

Self-acceptance is key to lasting weight loss.

It was then that it dawned on me.

I realized I had gotten it all wrong. Beating myself up and hating my body had never brought about any lasting change in my life. Every criticism brought even more hateful thoughts. I had not once looked in the mirror and felt love toward my reflection.

Sure, I lost some weight. And it did bring body changes. But I was still trapped in the diet/binge cycle. And it wasn’t the outside that really mattered. It was what I felt on the inside. I wanted to look in the mirror and know that I was lovable, deserving, and beautiful. I wanted the critical, antagonizing voices in my head telling me I was disgusting to stop.

It was only when I stopped fighting my body, began treating it with kindness, and worked to gently accept where I was that my body could return to its natural state of balance. The bingeing and dieting cycle that I'd been entrenched in began to lose its hold on me as I began to shift out of self-hate and criticism into acceptance and self-love.

Everywhere we look we’re taught to hate and punish ourselves into a "better" body. But we’ve got it backward. Criticism will never bring us what we most desire—peace in our bodies and freedom around food.

Here’s why self-acceptance is key to lasting weight loss:

Self-loathing is never a sustainable motivator.

You cannot hate yourself enough to create the deep, soulful, lasting change that you desperately want for your body. Criticism only perpetuates the negative, destructive mindset that keeps us stuck in patterns that no longer serve us.

When we’re trying to sculpt or “fix” our bodies, we punish ourselves. We restrict what we eat, slave away for 45 minutes a day on the treadmill, and reprimand ourselves if we stray from our rigid food and exercise rules. But that never lasts long.

We fall off the wagon because self-hate and punishment never motivate us for the long haul. Kindness, curiosity about your food patterns, and acceptance are the sustainable motivators that invite in big shifts and changes.

There is never a happy ending to an unhappy journey.

For so much of my life, I thought if I just beat myself up enough and forced myself to diet, I’d get to the place where I finally accepted my body. The startling reality of this belief is that it’s an illusion.

We can’t be miserable on our path, arrive at the end, and expect to be filled with joy. We’ve got it all backward. We must learn to embrace where we are, accept our imperfections, and cultivate self-love. So when we do get to where we want to be, we’ve loved ourselves at our thinnest and at our heaviest.

Our self-love isn’t dependent on our weight. It fills us from the inside because we know that, no matter what, we are deserving of that love.

Acceptance allows for awareness.

In order to change our habits and patterns around health (including weight loss), we’ve got to be aware of what is going on inside of us. There is no external fix that will ever satisfy our inner longing for acceptance and love.

When we spend our days dieting, obsessing over what we’re eating, exercising to lose weight, and living with the sole focus of whittling ourselves down to a certain size so we are “acceptable,” we’ll never shift our patterns for the long term.

When we begin to accept where we are, this is what allows us to soften enough to see what behaviors and habits no longer serve us.

Change happens when we become more and more aware of what we're doing and why; it’s only when we are aware of our patterns that we can find ways to take care of those needs so that our destructive patterns begin to fall away.

~Thanks to Jennifer Hand

14 Easy Ways to Increase Your Protein Intake

Getting enough protein is important for health.

For this reason, the Recommended Daily Intake(RDI) for protein is 50 grams per day. 

However, some researchers believe that many people should be eating significantly more than this amount.

A high protein intake can help with weight loss, increase muscle mass and improve health, to name a few.

Here are 14 easy ways to eat more protein.

1. Eat Your Protein First

When eating a meal, eat the protein source first, especially before you get to the starches. Protein increases the production of PYY, a gut hormone that makes you feel full and satisfied. 

In addition, a high protein intake decreases levels of the “hunger hormone” ghrelin and increases your metabolic rate after eating and during sleep.

What’s more, eating protein first can help keep your blood sugar and insulin levels from rising too high after a meal. 

In a small study, people with type 2 diabetes were served identical meals on different days. Blood sugar and insulin rose significantly less when they consumed protein and vegetables before high-carb foods, compared to when the order was reversed.

Bottom Line: Eating protein first at meals can help you feel full and keep blood sugar and insulin levels from rising too high.

2. Snack on Cheese

Snacks are a good way to get extra protein into your diet, as long as you choose the right types.

Many common snack foods are very low in protein, such as chips, pretzels and crackers.

For example, a 28-gram (1-oz) serving of tortilla chips has 137 calories but only 2 grams of protein.

In contrast, the same amount of cheddar cheese contains 7 grams of protein, along with 20 fewer calories and 4 times as much calcium.

Additionally, cheese doesn’t seem to raise cholesterol levels much, even in people with high cholesterol. In fact, cheese may even benefit heart health.

Bottom Line: Choose cheese for a filling snack that’s high in protein and calcium and may also improve heart health.

3. Replace Cereal with Eggs

Many breakfast foods are low in protein, including toast, bagels and cereals. 

Although oatmeal contains more protein than most cereals, it still only provides about 6 grams in a typical 1-cup serving.

On the other hand, three large eggs provide 19 grams of high-quality protein, along with important nutrients like selenium and choline.

What’s more, several studies have shown that eating eggs for breakfast reduces appetite and keeps you full for several hours, so you end up eating fewer calories later in the day.

Eating whole eggs can also modify the size and shape of your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol particles in a way that may decrease heart disease risk.

Bottom Line: Replacing cereal with eggs boosts protein consumption, makes you feel more full and helps you eat fewer calories.

4. Top Your Food with Chopped Almonds

Almonds are incredibly healthy.

They’re high in magnesium, fiber and heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, yet low in digestible carbs. 

Almonds also contain 6 grams of protein in a 28-gram (1-oz) serving, which makes them a better source than most nuts.

And although a serving of almonds contains around 167 calories, studies have shown that your body actually absorbs only about 129 of those calories because some of the fat isn’t digested.

So sprinkle a few tablespoons of chopped almonds over yogurt, cottage cheese, salads or oatmeal to increase your protein intake and add flavor and crunch.

Bottom Line: Almonds are high in several nutrients and can boost the protein content of a meal or snack.

5. Choose Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is a versatile, high-protein food.

A 240-gram (8-oz) serving provides 17–20 grams of protein, depending on the brand. This is about twice the amount in traditional yogurt.

Greek yogurt is made by removing whey and other liquids to produce a richer, creamier yogurt.

Research shows Greek yogurt increases the release of the gut hormones GLP-1 and PYY, which reduce hunger and make you feel full.

In addition, it contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has been shown to promote fat loss in some studies.

Greek yogurt has a tangy flavor that goes well with berries or chopped fruit. It can also be used as a substitute for sour cream in dips, sauces and other recipes.

Bottom Line: Greek yogurt contains twice as much protein as traditional yogurt and can be eaten alone or added to other foods.

6. Add Protein-Rich Foods to Your Salad

Salads are loaded with vegetables that provide vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help protect you from disease.

However, they often contain only a few grams of protein, which will likely lead to hunger after an hour or two. 

To add protein to your salad, top it with any of the foods below. A 100-gram (3.5-oz) serving of these foods will give you the following amounts of protein: 

• Chicken or turkey breast: 30 grams.
• Tuna: 26 grams.
• Salmon: 25 grams.
• Cheese: 22 grams.

If you’re looking for a good plant-based option, garbanzo beans (chickpeas) are a great choice that provides 15 grams of protein per cup (165 grams).

Bottom Line: Topping your salad with poultry, cheese, fish or legumes will help you meet your protein needs and stay full and satisfied.

7. Have a Protein Shake for Breakfast

A shake or smoothie can be a great breakfast, depending on the ingredients. Many smoothies contain a lot of fruit, vegetables or juice, but little protein.

Protein powders make it easy to create a high-protein shake. There are several types on the market, including whey, soy, egg and pea protein.

Whey protein powder has been studied the most and seems to have an edge over the others when it comes to helping you feel full.

One scoop (28 grams) of whey powder provides about 20 grams of protein, on average. 

Here is a basic whey shake recipe. To boost the protein content even more, use more protein powder or add peanut butter, almond butter, flaxseeds or chia seeds.

Whey Protein Shake

• 8 oz (225 grams) unsweetened almond milk.
• 1 scoop of whey powder.
• 1 cup fresh berries.
• Stevia or another healthy sweetener, if desired.
• 1/2 cup crushed ice.

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Bottom Line: Having a protein shake for breakfast helps you start the day off right. Whey may be the best type to use.

8. Include a High-Protein Food with Every Meal

When it comes to protein, it’s not just the total amount you take in every day that matters. Getting enough at each meal is also important.

Several researchers recommend consuming a minimum of 20–30 grams of protein at each meal. 

Studies show that this amount promotes fullness and preserves muscle mass better than smaller amounts eaten throughout the day.

Select foods from this list of delicious high-potein foods in order to make sure you meet your needs at every meal.

Bottom Line: Include a high-protein food at each meal to get what you need to feel full and maintain muscle mass.

9. Choose Leaner, Slightly Larger Cuts of Meat

Selecting leaner cuts of meat and increasing portion sizes slightly can significantly boost the protein content of your meal. 

What’s more, your meal may even end up being lower in calories. For example, compare these two steaks:

• Ribeye steak (fatty): 18 g protein and 274 calories per 100 g (3.5 oz).
• Top sirloin steak (lean): 24 g protein and 225 calories per 112 g (4 oz).

Bottom Line: Choosing leaner cuts of meat and slightly larger portions is an easy way to increase your protein intake.

10. Pair Peanut Butter with Fruit

Fruit is rich in antioxidants, nutrients and fiber. However, it’s very low in protein. 

Peanut butter is a delicious, high-protein food with a creamy texture that complements firm fruits such as apples and pears.

In fact, spreading 2 tablespoons of peanut butter on sliced fruit will boost the total protein content by 8 grams.

What’s more, studies suggest that peanut butter may decrease appetite, reduce blood sugar levels and promote heart health.

Bottom Line: Add peanut butter to fruit to boost your protein intake. This can decrease appetite, improve heart health and lower blood sugar.

11. Eat Lean Jerky

Lean jerky is a convenient way to get more protein into your diet. However, it’s important to choose a healthy type. Many types of jerky contain sugar, preservatives and various questionable ingredients. They’re also frequently made from lower-quality meat.

Some jerky and “snack sticks” come from grass-fed beef, bison and other free-range animals. Choosing jerky from grass-fed animals will provide better-quality meat with higher amounts of healthy omega-3 fats.

Lean jerkies or snack sticks contain about 7 grams of protein per 28 grams (1 oz). They can often be stored for several months without refrigeration and are ideal for travel.

Bottom Line: Lean jerkies and snack sticks are good sources of protein. Choose high-quality types that come from grass-fed animals.

12. Indulge in Cottage Cheese at Any Time

Cottage cheese is a tasty food that’s also very high in protein. A one-cup (225-gram) serving contains 25 grams of protein and 220 calories. Unless you're lactose intolerant, this is a great choice.

A 2015 study found cottage cheese to be as filling and satisfying as eggs.

What’s more, the full-fat type is a good source of CLA, which may promote fat loss and lead to improvements in body composition.

One study followed women who ate a high-protein, high-dairy diet while exercising and reducing calorie intake. They lost more belly fat and gained more muscle mass than women with moderate protein and dairy intake.

Bottom Line: Cottage cheese is a versatile, high-protein food that makes you feel full and may help improve body composition.

13. Munch on Edamame

Edamame is the term for steamed soybeans in their unripened form. 

Soybeans have more protein than other legumes and are popular among vegetarians and vegans. 

One cup of edamame has 17 grams of protein and about 180 calories.

Edamame is high in an antioxidant known as kaempferol.  Studies on mice suggest it may reduce blood sugar and help with weight loss.

Edamame can be purchased fresh or frozen, and it makes a great snack. It can also be added to stir-fry recipes.

Bottom Line: Edamame is a good source of plant protein and may also have other health benefits.

14. Eat Canned Fish

Canned fish is a fantastic way to boost protein intake.

It requires no refrigeration, so it’s wonderful for travel. It can be enjoyed as a snack or with a meal.

Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel are also excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which can fight inflammation and improve heart health.

A 100-gram (3.5-oz) serving of canned fish contains between 20–25 grams of protein and 150–200 calories.

Ideas for serving canned fish include serving it on top of a salad or eating it straight from the can.

Bottom Line: Canned fish is a convenient source of high-quality protein and beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

~Thanks to Franziska Spinzler