January 2019

VOLUME 23, ISSUE 1 · JANUARY 2019
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” ~Aesop
Proud to Be a Big Loser!
by Ken Babal, C.N.
The holiday cookies, pies, candies
and feasts have come and gone, but
the extra body fat lingers. After
the holidays, we often hear a lot of
hype about how to effortlessly take
off those unwanted pounds. Truth
is, successful weight management
takes commitment. It also helps to
have an understanding of how food
affects body chemistry.
Most Americans take in too many
calories for the amount of energy
expended. And many of the calories
consumed are from foods that
our bodies are not physiologically
designed for. It’s like putting the
wrong type of fuel in our cars.
A simple approach to weight management
is to eat food just the way
IN THIS ISSUE
Talk to Your Stomach, it Talks Back!
Pomegranate & Wild Rice Salad
US ON
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4
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nature provides it. This is accomplished
by visiting the produce
department at your market for
fresh vegetables and fruits, and
the bulk section for beans and
whole grains. You then add lean or
vegetable protein. You’ve got to be
a smart label reader for anything
that comes in a box or can.
In spite of the long-standing eat
less-move more prescription, obesity
rates continue to climb. This
has caused researchers to look at
not just how many calories people
eat and burn, but what kind of
food the calories are coming from
and how the body processes them.
In addition, researchers are looking
at people’s genes, the microbes in
their gut, and how much sleep they
get. The science is revealing many
new pieces of information that
may tip the scales in your favor.
Blood Sugar Roller Coaster
There is a strong consensus that
limiting high-glycemic foods
and controlling blood sugar are
critical factors and keys to successful
weight management. This
is because sharp blood sugar
fluctuations increase the likelihood
that calories will be stored
as fat. Blood sugar surges prompt
the pancreas to release excess
amounts of insulin, a hormone
that allows sugar to be burned for
energy, but also to be stored as fat.
Constant bombardment of cells
with alternating high levels of
glucose (blood sugar) and insulin
eventually causes them to lose
their sensitivity to insulin (called
“insulin resistance”). As a result,
glucose and insulin levels remain
high, setting the stage for diabetes.
The new word “diabesity” reflects
Continued On Page 2
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PROUD TO BE A BIG LOSER! — Continued from Page 1
Developing Healthy Habits
Published by:
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www.DHH.health
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Mission Statement:
“Our mission is to continually provide
a well written and clearly presented
newsletter that is devoted to
empowering individuals
to make educated decisions relating to
their health and wellness.”
the tendency for diabetes to be
accompanied by obesity.
Certain foods stand out for their
ability to favorably affect glucose
and insulin levels, such as cinnamon,
oats, bitter melon and
maitake mushroom. Maitake
excels in treating what I call
“conditions of excess,” whether
it is excess blood pressure, blood
sugar, body weight, cholesterol
or triglycerides. The mushroom
is the source of a glycoprotein
extract (SX-fraction) that has
been found to enhance insulin
sensitivity. In experiments
at Georgetown University, the
compound reduced levels of
fasting glucose, blood pressure
and body weight in genetically
obese and diabetic rats. A clinical
study found that Type 2 diabetics
taking the extract were able to
significantly reduce their fasting
blood glucose, triglycerides,
insulin and body weight.
Weight-Loss Supplements
Although there are no magic pills,
certain dietary supplements can
enhance the results of a weightloss
program. The best product
for you depends on your particular
needs. For example, is your
metabolism slow? Is your appetite
excessive? Do you have food
allergies? Do you have a high
stress level? Do you have symptoms
of insulin resistance? Each
of these factors contributes to
unhealthy weight gain and can be
addressed with diet modifications
and specific nutritional or herbal
remedies. Nothing is 100 percent
successful in every person.
But if you are eating healthy and
exercising, the right product can
improve your results.
Appetite suppressants - Hoodia,
Garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitric
acid), Caralluma, conjugated
linoleic acid (CLA)
Carb blockers – bean pod (Phaseolus
vulgaris)
Fat blocker – chitin
Thermogenic agents (create heat,
calorie-burning) - fucoxanthin,
7-keto DHEA, green tea, ginger,
cayenne, coconut oil, fish oil
Glucose regulators - fibers such as
psyllium, glucomannan, guar and
oat bran, green coffee bean extract,
chromium, maitake SX-fraction
Keys to Successful Fat-Loss
1. Divide daily calories into
three meals plus one or two
snacks per day. Keep meals
within 300-500 calories;
snacks 100-200 calories.
Never go more than four or
five hours without eating. Eat
just enough to sustain you to
your next meal—no more, no
less.
Continued On Page 3
The statements and products in this newsletter
have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug
Administration and are not intended to diagnose,
treat, cure or prevent any disease.
2 January 2019 • www.DHH.health

PROUD TO BE A BIG LOSER! — Continued from Page 2
2. Have some protein at each
meal. Protein selections are
meat, poultry (about what can
fit in the palm of your hand
and no higher), fish, tofu, eggs,
cottage cheese, soy burgers or
protein shakes.
3. Include some essential fats
with each meal. For example,
a few olives, nuts or seeds,
¼ avocado, salad dressing (1
tablespoon) or olive or flaxseed
oil (1 teaspoon).
4. Fill half of your plate with
vegetables and fruits.
5. Avoid sugars and refined carbs
(cookies, pies, cakes, candy,
pastries, soda pop and sugary
cereals). Every successful diet
in history has restricted sugar.
If you crave sugar, it’s usually
because you’ve gone too long
without eating a meal, or didn’t
get the protein serving right
(too little or too much).
6. Don’t eat a large meal within
three hours of bedtime. A small,
bedtime snack is ok if hungry.
7. Drink 8-12 ounces of water
in the morning and between
meals to flush waste products
from your system. Don’t use
fruit juices and sodas to satisfy
your thirst.
8. Include fat-metabolizing
foods, herbs and spices such
as sea greens, green tea, fresh
fruits and salads, spirulina, ginger,
lemon juice and stevia.
9. Take a multiple vitamin-mineral
supplement and probiotic.
A multi may prevent possible
deficiencies on a reduced
calorie diet; probiotic bacteria
secrete short-chain fatty acids
that may cause less fat to accumulate,
boost calorie-burning
and increase satiety.
10. Become more active. Find an
activity that is enjoyable to
burn calories and tune up your
metabolism, such as walking,
running, bicycling, dancing or
gym work-outs.
Author’s Bio:
Ken Babal has a
clinical nutrition
practice in Los
Angeles and is the
author of numerous
books, including
Seafood Sense: The Truth about Seafood
Nutrition and Safety (Basic Health 2005)
and Mushrooms for Health and Longevity
(Books Alive 2011). His forthcoming
book is The Yin-Yang Diet for Balanced
Nutrition, Health and Harmony (Turner
Publishing 2019). Visit his website at
www.NutritionMusician.com
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www.DHH.health • January 2019 3

Talk to Your Stomach,
it Talks Back!
by Natasha Trenev
Do the tiny bacteria that live in
your gut influence what you eat?
It’s a compelling question and one
you probably haven’t considered.
The microorganisms in your intestinal
tract are more cunning than
you might imagine. Can’t resist
that chocolate covered donut?
Maybe you can blame it on your
gut bacteria.
The bacteria that live in your gut
are closely connected to your
brain. So closely intertwined
that gut bacteria may affect your
mood and play a role in conditions
such as anxiety and depression.
Researchers have even discovered
they can influence an animal’s personality,
how outgoing or fearful it
is, by “tweaking” the populations
of bacteria in their intestinal tract.
Your Brain and Gut Are
Closely Connected
Your brain and gut are connected by
one of the most important nerves
in the body, the vagus nerve, which
carries input from the brain to the
digestive tract to regulate digestive
function. Scientists think communication
between the brain and gut
take place in other ways as well —
through circulating immune cells
and through metabolic by-products
and chemicals produced by bacteria
in the gut that travel to the brain.
In fact, inside your intestinal tract
lies a nervous system referred to
as the “second brain.” This sophisticated
collection of nerves affects
how nutrients are handled, the
secretion of gastric acid, and how
quickly food makes its way from
your mouth to the end of your
intestinal tract.
Interestingly, some of the same
neurotransmitters made by your
brain, chemicals that influence factors
like your mood, sleep patterns
etc., are also made by your digestive
tract. For example, serotonin, a neurotransmitter
that influences mood,
sleep, digestion and sexual desire,
is produced partially by your brain,
but almost 90% is made in your
digestive tract. So, your primary
brain and “second brain” are closely
connected — your brain influences
your gut and your gut talks back to
your brain. That’s why people who
are anxious or depressed lose their
appetite, experience “butterflies” in
their stomach or develop heartburn
or indigestion.
With such a close alliance between
the gut and brain and given that
trillions of gut bacteria in the
intestines influence digestive
function and even your mood,
you might wonder whether your
microbiota influences your dietary
choices.
Gut Bacteria and Food Cravings
The next time you have a craving
for something decadent - can
you blame it on your gut bacteria?
Possibly. As discussed, your “second
brain” is home to a variety of
chemicals and neurotransmitters,
some of which are produced by
gut bacteria. Some of these chemicals,
like dopamine, are directly
involved in appetite and mood.
Studies have shown that gut
bacteria, removed from the intestinal
tract, can produce dopamine,
a neurotransmitter once thought
to be restricted to the brain and
central nervous system. Dopamine
gives rise to feelings of reward,
including the pleasurable feelings
you get when you eat something
delicious.
There’s also evidence that gut
bacteria can impact hormones that
regulate appetite and those that
affect satiety; how full you feel
after a meal. These include peptide
PYY, a hormone produced by the
pancreas, that gives you the feeling
of being full and satisfied after
eating. Do gut bacteria actually
influence the food choices you
make and increase cravings for
foods that best support their own
growth and survival? After all,
like other organisms, bacteria are
Continued On Page 5
4 January 2019 • www.DHH.health

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TALK TO YOUR STOMACH — Continued from Page 4
interested in their own self-preservation
and survival and they need
energy and certain nutrients to do
that. Are bacteria cunning enough
to trick your brain into eating
what they need to prosper?
Are Gut Bacteria in Control
of Your Diet?
Nutrients and energy sources that
cause one species of bacteria to
grow and thrive might not be ideal
for another. So, how can bacteria
get what they need? Possibly, by
increasing cravings for foods that
best serve their survival interests.
Bacteria may have the capacity to
do this by producing chemicals,
like dopamine, that feed back on
the brain and affect your appetite
and the degree of pleasure
and reward you feel when you eat
a particular food. Gut bacteria
could have more control over your
appetite and food choices than you
think.
This is a hard area to study in
humans, but research in mice
supports the idea that gut bacteria
influence food choices. What
human research DOES show is
obese and overweight people have
a particular composition of gut
bacteria that differs from that of
lean and normal weight individuals.
The question is, why? One possibility
is the bacteria in the gut
subtly manipulate food choices
through a two-way connection
between the gut and brain, leading
the host to consume foods higher
in fat or sugar. Some evidence suggests
that bacteria can change the
Continued On Page 6
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www.DHH.health • January 2019 5

TALK TO YOUR STOMACH — Continued from Page 5
expression of receptors involved
in taste, making some foods taste
more or less appealing. It could be
that when pathogenic organisms,
like yeast, invade the intestinal
tract and upset the balance, it leads
to cravings for sugary foods, since
yeast thrive on sugar.
Another observation that supports
the idea that bacteria
influence dietary choices pertains
to obese people who undergo
gastric bypass surgery. These
individuals often experience
changes in taste receptors so that
foods that were once appealing to
them no longer are. In addition,
gastric bypass surgery also leads
to changes in the gut microbiota.
Are the two linked and can they
account for some of the benefits
of gastric bypass surgery?
Research also suggests that the
diet can affect the type of bacteria
that grow and thrive in our intestinal
tracts. For example, when you
compare kids who eat a low-fat,
high-fiber diet to ones that eat a
low-fiber diet, their gut microbiota
differ.
Changes in gut bacteria can
happen quickly. Research shows
switching the diet from low-fat to
high sugar and fat leads to changes
in the gut microbiota in as little as
one day. It’s the old, chicken and
egg question — do we select for
the type of gut bacteria we have
by what WE choose to eat or are
the bacteria running the show by
telling us what TO eat? It’s an
intriguing question; to consider
that such tiny organisms could
have so much influence. With trillions
of bacteria in the gut, there’s
strength in numbers.
If bacteria in the gut manipulate
the food choices we make, cultivating
a population of gut bacteria
that increase the desire to eat
healthy, whole foods that are lower
in calories would be of benefit.
We know the trillions of bacteria
that live in the gut are influenced
by nutritional factors and the diet
we eat, but it may work both ways
- bacteria may affect what we eat
and how we ‘feed’ them. Hopefully,
science will be able to determine
whether bacteria have really
involved the capacity to influence
dietary choices and how this takes
place. For now, the best approach
is to foster an intestinal environment
where “good” bacteria can
thrive. Seed your gut with gutfriendly
probiotic bacteria, and,
just maybe, they’ll help you make
smarter dietary choices.
References:
Live Science. “Can Microbes in the
Gut Influence the Brain?”
J Bacteriol. 2013 Feb; 195(3): 411-
416.doi: 10.1128/JB.01384-12.
American Psychological Association.
“That Gut Feeling”
Nutraingredients-USA.com. “Can
Gut Microbes Affect Eating Behavior?
It’s an Intriguing Field of
Research, Expert Says” June 12, 2015.
Medscape Family Medicine. “Is Your
Gut Ruling Your Brain on Food
Choices?”
Science Translational Medicine 11 Nov
2009: Vol. 1, Issue 6, pp. 6ra14. DOI:
10.1126/scitranslmed.3000322.
Author’s Bio:
Natasha Trenev is
the Founder and
President of Natren,
also known as the
“Mother of Probiotics.”
Natasha
is a published researcher in the field of
probiotics and author of several probiotic
books. She’s a developmental scientist
and authority on probiotics and probiotic
function as it relates to human health.
She has selflessly and tirelessly dedicated
her life to researching, formulating and
educating the public about the wonderful
health benefits that probiotics can deliver
to the human body.
6 January 2019 • www.DHH.health

Recipe
OF THE MONTH
POMEGRANATE & WILD RICE SALAD
Prep Time: 20 minutes — Cook Time: 30 minutes — Makes: 6 servings
2-3 medium (~2 ½ cups) sweet
potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 ½ Tbsp. olive oil
Freshly cracked pepper and salt
1 package (4.3 ounces) Long Grain and
Wild Rice Mix
1 cup fresh pomegranate arils
½ cup sliced almonds
8-10 ounces mixed greens lettuce I use a
50/50 blend spinach & spring mix leaves
INGREDIENTS:
Lemon Honey Dressing
1 Tbsp. honey
1 large lemon (2 Tbsps. juice, ¼ tsp. zest)
¾ Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsps. olive oil
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. dried oregano
Freshly cracked pepper and salt, to taste
Optional
2-4 ounces Crumbled goat cheese or feta
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel and chop the sweet potato into small chunks. Toss the
potato chunks in olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
Bake for 10 minutes, flip and return to the oven for another 10 minutes, and then flip once
more and bake for 10 more minutes or until the potato chunks are tender and roasted
through. Don’t overcook the potatoes.
Meanwhile, prepare the wild rice according to the package directions if you are using a
package mix. If you make the homemade wild rice, start with making that before roasting
the sweet potato so they will be done around the same time.
Combine the roasted sweet potato with the cooked wild rice in a large bowl and place in
the fridge while prepping the dressing.
For the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a mason jar or small bowl. Place the lid
on the mason jar and shake (or whisk in the bowl) until combined. Taste and adjust (adding
additional salt/pepper/honey, to taste)
Add dressing to the cooled potato + wild rice mixture. Toss with the lettuce and add the
pomegranate arils plus almonds. Toss everything with the dressing and add in some feta or
crumbled goat cheese to personal preference. Increase the amounts of pomegranate arils or
almonds, if desired.
Enjoy the dressed salad the same day. If preparing the salad for the next day, store the salad
separately from the dressing, almonds, and cheese.
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