When our sleep is below normal, when it’s broken up or thrown off, it affects us more both physically and mentally than we realize. Sleep is when most fat burning and muscle building occurs, as well as when most cellular repair happens. Our cortisol levels lower when we get good sleep and we become less stressed or anxious and more able to relax. This helps balance out hormones and neurotransmitters.

“How do I get off sugar and junk food? It's so hard!” In case you feel alone in this struggle — please know that you're not. In fact, the majority of people don't succeed from mainstream diets, even when they go all out on them. Why is that? Is it because the diet or lifestyle habits to succeed are not practical? Or you might be thinking you are not determined enough or simply lazy. Though some of the factors we’ll cover will make you feel low in energy to the point you may feel it’s laziness, but no it’s not. 

There are about 500 different species of bacteria. And between them, they ether produce or help to produce neurotransmitters in our body, such as Serotonin and GABA, which calm and relax us, de-stress us, allow us to fall asleep, and help to keep our hormones in balance so we can lose weight and add muscle.

Some of these bacteria eat the foods coming in such as amino acids, vitamins and other nutrients, and some actually produce amino acids, or vitamins, or other nutrients that the body can use or that other bacteria feed off of.

There is something called “Leaky Gut”, and this is not just a funny name. It’s probably one of the most accurate labels there are, actually.

When food comes into your small intestine from your stomach it’s already mostly broken down. Here, more enzymes (bodily chemicals) are released to break it down further into truly microscopic pieces.

The digestive tract is arguably the most important pathway in the body for overall health, fat loss, muscle-building, hormones, energy, and immune system function.

Now we’re going to dive more into one aspect of it affecting a majority of the people in the US right now whether they know it or not: SIBO or Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth.

There is an idea that GERD, Heartburn, and Acid Reflux are caused by too much stomach acid, and idea pushed heavily by pharmaceutical companies who make quite a bit of money from antacids and acid blockers.

But while these give a temporary solution, in the long term they actually make the problem worse.

This is because it’s not high levels of stomach acid that cause acid reflux and GERD, but the exact opposite — too little stomach acid. In fact, there is no research at all showing high stomach acid to be a cause.

The ability to fully digest and absorb protein determines your body's ability to maximizing muscle gains and fat loss. It also affects your energy levels, hormones, inflammation, and overall health.

So, understanding exactly how digestion works and how to keep it, or get it, working properly is very important.

Let’s look at this.

If your cells are taking in less sugar because they’re resisting insulin knocking at their door to let in sugar, then the cells have less energy to work with. 

That sugar is there, and insulin is happily converting it to fat, but your cells aren’t getting it so of course they’re hungry and will keep telling you to eat more until they finally get some. 

Testosterone, like Growth Hormone, plays a large role in muscle bulk and strength, as well as fat-burning. 

It also helps regulate sex drive, bone mass, fat distribution (as in where the fat is stored), body composition, and the production of red blood cells and sperm.

As it’s the “male” hormone, we see much higher numbers in men than in women, though women still need this just as men still need some estrogen, the “female” hormone. 

The chicory root has been a staple of the human diet for over 2,000 years. Records of the chicory plant as part of regular meals date as far back as ancient Egypt, through ancient Rome, and into modern times.

Sadly, many people are unfamiliar with this incredible root, and an understanding of its many health benefits has begun to fade into obscurity.

Today we are going to discuss the benefits and uses of this extraordinary plant, one of nature’s most effective weapons in the battle for optimal health.

Sleep is one of the largest factors affecting overall health. In fact, our body would go into shock from lack of sleep before lack of food. 

Sleep is when our body is able to do very necessary repairs and recover from the day. Without this recovery time we get “little issues” that build up, starting on a cellular level, and finally showing themselves in fatigue, bad mood, fat gain, muscle loss, heart trouble, toxicity levels, and much more. 

You see, sleep is when many of our daytime hormones and processes “simmer down” and other hormones are released, activating very different processes.