The Top Five Questions I Get Asked

I've been in the nutrition business for over 25 years now and I still get the same questions all the time. I want to help educate you so you can become a health ambassador in your circles and we can grow the collective of information that is legitimately backed by science and end the ridiculous myths circulating out there.

1. If my cholesterol is high will I develop heart disease?

If your cholesterol is high, it only tells us that your body is making more for a reason, such as a diet high in trans fats and sugary carbs, low thyroid function, or heavy metal toxicity.

So if cholesterol in and of itself does not predict a person’s potential to develop heart disease, what does? You have to look at other anti-inflammatory and lab markers such as:

Fasting insulin

HgbA1c

Lp(a)

CRP

Homocysteine

Triglycerides

Thyroid Panel: T3, T4, reverse T3, TSH, TPO

Lifestyle: diet, exercise, stress, booze, smoking, toxic relationships, depression

Think critically when it comes to cholesterol and look at the big picture of diet, lifestyle, and stress.

2. Is gluten really that bad for me?

Yes and no.

When we as humans started introducing grains into our food chain, we carefully soaked and sprouted them, breaking down the gluten and the lectins present so they were easier to digest and absorb. The grains were grown on what we would consider to be organic soils, free of pesticides and herbicides, and the grains were not genetically modified or adulterated in any way. The farmers also rotated the crops on different plots of land so that the soil had time to replenish it’s levels of trace minerals.

Now, it’s a different story. Commercial wheat has been genetically modified since the 1980’s. The fields are drenched in the toxic chemical RoundUp (which contains glyphosate and has been labeled in CA as cancer causing) seven days before harvest as a drying agent. And it is our body’s reaction to RoundUp which is probably the real culprit behind our stomach symptoms.

If you really want to find out how gluten affects you is to take 30 days off all grains and then gradually re-introduce them one at a time. You’ll quickly find out if you have a sensitivity to gluten or not.

And no matter what, long-term you should make your wheat and gluten intake as clean and organic as possible, because I don’t believe anyone in their right mind should be ingesting carcinogens.

We use grain-free tortillas by Siete which are made from cassava and almond flour. I top them with smashed boiled eggs for breakfast or use them for our taco nights. Heaven!

Also when you think of gluten-free eating, think whole foods first: sweet potatoes, white potatoes, lentils and beans, winter squashes like butternut, acorn, and spaghetti. Spiralize your veggies for a pasta substitute and fill up on fruits, veggies, clean, pastured proteins and bone broth, and healthy fats like avocado, coconut, and raw nuts and seeds. If you can tolerate them, add in some steel-cut oats, quinoa, amaranth, millet or teff. Enjoy yogurts made from almonds or cashews. Then watch your body transform into the most gorgeous version of you you’ve ever seen.

People trying a gluten-free diet for the first time run out and get gluten-free breads, cookies, crackers, bars, and pancakes thinking that these are healthier choices just because they’re gluten-free or organic. These doesn’t make you healthy and in some cases can actually help you gain weight and become insulin-resistant. Check the labels for junk like cornstarch, sugars, chemicals and preservatives. If you can’t ID it, don’t eat it.

3. My doctor told me it's totally normal if I only poop every 4-5 days because that's just how my body works. That's true, right?

Nope. You actually need to poop every day, at least 1-3 times per day. This applies to all human beings.

What's in your feces? Feces is actually around 75 percent water. The remaining parts are made from a mixture of dead bacteria that helped us to digest our food, living bacteria, protein, indigestible fiber, and waste materials from the liver and intestines.

Our bodies process hundreds of chemicals each day from personal care products, household cleaners, furniture, and our food. Regular elimination means your body is taking out the trash and helping those toxins pass through your body on a daily basis. If given the chance, wouldn't you want to remove garbage from your house every day instead of letting it pile up and pollute your beautiful environment? Daily bowel movements mean less toxic buildup in your body and a healthy digestive system. 

If you're constipated it could be for a variety of reasons: dehydration, low production of hydrochloric acid, magnesium deficiency, not eating enough fiber from fruits and vegetables, a sluggish gallbladder and fatty liver, not chewing your food, excess stress, and eating way too much packaged, processed food. In one rare case I've seen a client with an abnormally long colon that left her chronically constipated, but structural abnormalities notwithstanding, almost everyone else I've seen has been able to quickly and easily remedy the situation with dietary changes and a couple supplements if needed.

If you're relying on medication to poop, you will only encourage a lazy bowel and will never get to the root of the problem. So look at the underlying causes and get moving. Your poop should look like a solid sausage and not smell too much. If it looks like balls you may have a sluggish liver/gallbladder; if it looks like pencils it may be more due to an irritable bowel and food allergies. 

4. Is it OK to have a snack before bed?

There are two approaches to this:

1. If you suffer with chronic adrenal exhaustion and blood sugar imbalances, eating a snack before bed can promote weight loss. (Yup, you read that correctly!). The benefit of having a small snack 30-60 minutes before bedtime is huge--especially if it helps you catch your zzz's--because it will help you fall and stay asleep. A great bedtime snack in this case is 1/2 banana with 1 tbsp of nut butter, 1/2 cup plain cashew yogurt topped with berries and drizzled honey, 1/2 cup sweet potato with 2 tsp coconut oil and sea salt, and--one of my faves--a heaping teaspoon of raw honey topped with 1/8 teaspoon sea salt. Nourishes the adrenals and tastes like caramel!

2. If you have fat loss goals and are regularly working out and eating at least 4-6 ounces of protein per meal, an overnight fast of 12-14 hours can be super beneficial at torching body fat. This means that you eat dinner at 6pm and don't eat breakfast until 8am the next day, giving your body ample opportunity to not only burn off your evening meal, but really dip into fat stores until your next meal. Not only that, but giving your body the chance to rest versus digest is extremely beneficial and can improve your sleep and energy the next day. Confused and not sure what's best for you? Try option 2 first and if you wake up hungry throughout the night, revert to option 1.

5. “Should I do a detox or juice cleanse?”

If you've been struggling with health issues for a long time, aggressively taking colon cleansers and drinking copious amounts of juice for 3-5 days will not reverse or get to the root of the problem.

The fact is, there can be many problems with detoxes and cleanses:

Protein deficient

Extremely low calorie

Blood sugar swings (and mood swings)

Sleep disturbances

Bloating, gas, diarrhea

Triggering a restrictive mindset that then triggers binges

If doing a juice cleanse or detox diet helps you mentally reset and get back on the horse with making healthier choices, that is a good thing. But please don't do this on your own; work with a functional medicine practitioner. I do very gentle and modified cleanses with my clients where we add in green juices and eliminate grains, dairy, and allergenic foods and we spend time finding what works best; that is what creates long and lasting results. Together we build a sustainable plan to triple energy, mental focus, and restore quality sleep. But there is nothing extreme or unsustainable about it.

Have more questions I didn't cover? Please post below and let's continue the conversation.

And be sure to register for my free upcoming webinars; click on the link below to register:

How to Lose 20lbs x 90 days

How to Stop The Struggle With Chronic Illness

Live Gorgeously,

Esther