Struggling to Lose Weight? Inflammation Might Be the Reason
Hi Everyone,
Are you finding it hard to lose weight?
Do those stubborn pounds refuse to budge despite diets and exercise?
Then chronic inflammation could be the problem.
In this post, I will explain how chronic inflammation affects weight loss and why the diet foods you’ve been eating may be making it harder to lose weight. Then, I’ll share my top 5 tips for lasting weight loss.
What is Chronic Inflammation?
There are two types of inflammation, chronic and acute. Acute inflammation arises quickly during injury or illness – when you break a bone for example, or have a high fever with the flu. Once the injury or illness starts to improve, the acute inflammation goes down.
Chronic inflammation is when your body’s immune system keeps producing inflammatory chemicals. This can be caused by an ongoing serious illness like cancer or heart disease, or as a result of stress, weight gain, inflammatory foods, or environmental toxins.
Conditions that feature chronic inflammation include:
As you can tell, chronic inflammation is part of many different health conditions. It’s why it can be hard to lose weight when you have an ongoing health issue. If you don’t tackle the underlying inflammation, your body will struggle to shed weight.
How Does Inflammation Affect Weight Loss?
Inflammation and weight imbalance have a “chicken or egg” relationship. Chronic inflammation can cause weight gain, and conversely, weight gain can cause inflammation. Behind all this is a set of complex metabolic processes:
Weight gain triggers hormonal changes that lead to higher levels of inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein and cytokines.
The resulting inflammation hampers insulin function, contributing to elevated blood glucose levels and the build-up of liver fat. This further impairs insulin activity and sets off a feedback loop.
Weight gain and inflammation disrupt leptin production, a crucial hormone that regulates metabolism and appetite. Reduced leptin affects satiety signaling in the brain, making it easier to overeat.
Can Ultra-Processed Foods Cause Inflammation and Weight Gain?
In 2019, Dr Kevin Hall ran the first-ever randomized controlled trial exploring the effects of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). The study found that people eating a diet of UPFs ate on average 500 calories more per day and gained more weight than when they consumed a diet of unprocessed foods (Hall et al, 2019).
All these heavily marketed “diet” foods are UPFs. They are rich in artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, high-fructose corn syrup, flavorings, and thickeners that damage your gut and worsen inflammation.
How do they do this? It’s because of the communication that happens between your gut bacteria and your brain. The billions of bacteria in your gut microbiome are sending messages to your brain based on the types of foods you eat. When you eat UPFs like diet shakes and ready meals, the gut bugs tell your brain they want more of this stuff. So, your brain keeps telling you to eat.
The problem is, these foods are devoid of any nutritional value. They give you calories, but nothing else. They lack the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients your body needs to thrive and survive.
The chemical additives disturb the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut. As bad bacteria multiply, they damage the gut lining, leading to increased intestinal permeability (also known as “leaky gut”) and widespread inflammation.
And as I mentioned earlier, chronic inflammation is linked to weight gain. This is how the weight gain-inflammation cycle begins.
Top 5 Tips for Lasting Weight Loss
So, now you know how bad these diet foods are for weight loss, it’s time to look at what you should do instead to lose weight.
Here are my top 5 tips for lasting weight loss:
Ditch the inflammatory foods! Steer clear of ultra-processed meals and snacks, diet sodas, energy drinks, candy, doughnuts, chips, and sugary cereals.
Stop doing workouts that raise inflammation. This is a major problem for many people. They think they need to exercise more often, or harder, to lose weight. But grueling workouts raise your stress hormones, and over time, this encourages weight gain.
Stay hydrated. Your brain struggles to distinguish between hunger and thirst. The chances are you’re reaching for a snack when what you need is a glass of water.
Learn to relax. Cortisol, your main stress hormone, programs your body to store fat around your belly. This won’t shift until you learn how to relax and build your resilience to stress. Read more about this in Does Cortisol Cause Weight Gain?
Lose Weight With Eat Burn Sleep
The beauty of the Eat Burn Sleep program is that it combines all the different elements you need to tackle inflammation and lose weight, for good.
Our meal plans and food lists tell you exactly what to eat. The movement videos show you how to exercise without making inflammation worse, and our meditation guides help you deal with stress and manage your cortisol levels.
But don’t just take it from me, this is what our members have to say:
Ingrid says:
“I just wanted to let you know how much of an impact you have made on my life. My weight has always been between 9.7 and 10 stone, and as a result, it’s now been 8st for the last few months.My sister is also a member and we feel like you are part of the family, you’re the one we go to for advice on almost everything!”
Brooke says:
“I love your “soothing workouts” and all your advice. I also wanted to let you know that when I rejoined last year, I had my physical, and my weight was 172 lbs. My physical last month was 142 lbs. Thank you so much.”
Dina says:
“After just one week of the Six-Week Reset I have lost 3.5kg. I am thrilled with the result and I look forward to losing some more!”Ready to lose weight the easy way? Find out more about our membership options now.You might also enjoy:Why Am I Always Hungry?Best Exercise to Lose Belly FatDoes Cortisol Cause Weight Gain?
Yours, in health,
Yalda x
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
Hello Everyone.
Do you want to lose weight and not feel hungry all the time?
Are you looking for low-calorie foods for weight loss?
This post is for you. I’m going to share 5 important things about branded low-calorie foods so you can understand exactly what they do to your body. Then, I’m going to show you some higher-calorie meals that are even better for weight loss so you can decide what to eat to lose weight.
Let’s start with the 5 important things you need to know about branded low-calorie foods.
Beware of Marketing. Selling Matters More Than Your Health.
I started researching low-calorie products and a quick online search led me to ‘low-calorie crackers’. The first one to come up was a sweet chili flavor rice cracker with 106 calories per 25g. That’s about 6 crackers. The marketing focus is on the calories as they are written in big bold type on the label, the same size as the logo.
The label for these crackers tells you they are ‘baked not fried’, 93% fat-free, gluten-free, and are a healthy, delicious low-fat snack.
Here are the ingredients:
Rice (84.5%), Rice Bran Oil (Contains Antioxidant: Soy Tocopherols), Sugar (4.3%), Salt, Milk Powder, Hydrolysed Soy Protein, Tomato Powder, Garlic Powder, Yeast Extract, Soy Sauce Powder (Soy, Rice, Salt), Onion Powder, Acidity Regulators: Calcium Lactate, Sodium Acetates, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Flavor Enhancers: Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Vinegar Flavor, Maltodextrin, Paprika Powder (0.1%), Chilli Powder (0.1%), Colouring: Paprika Extract, Anticaking: Silicon Dioxide, Antioxidant: Soy Tocopherol, Capsicum Extract.
Do these ingredients sound healthy to you? Do you have them in your store cupboard? Why does a simple cracker need to contain so many chemicals? The answer, of course, is that these crackers are an ultra-processed, highly addictive food.
Most Low-Calorie Foods Should Carry a Health Warning!
Ultra-processed foods like this are riddled with enhancers, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and other additives. These chemicals damage your gut microbiome and cause gut dysbiosis (Song et al, 2023).
Gut dysbiosis leads to chronic inflammation, which causes obesity!
It’s no coincidence that ultra-processed foods are big business, and obesity and diseases are on the rise. Over 1 billion people in the world are obese. That includes 650 million adults, 340 million adolescents, and 39 million children!
Most Low-Calorie Foods Will Lead to Even Greater Weight Gain
The bad bacteria that cause obesity love these acidity regulators, flavor enhancers, and anticaking agents. They will let your brain know that they want more of this rubbish so that they can survive and wipe out your good bacteria. This is why ultra-processed foods become addictive.
These chemicals confuse the brain’s hunger-reward system. They trick you into thinking you are eating something healthy, and your body searches for fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Because these foods are nutritionally deficient, your brain tells you to keep on eating, in the hope that you will find the nutrients you need. Ultra-processed food is wiping out our natural eating habits, and the body is starving.
This is why obesity is on the rise. These chemicals are in all low-calorie, marketed foods. Bodies are getting bigger, and malnutrition is getting greater.
But when you eat real food filled with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, your body knows how to utilize it. You don’t feel constantly hungry with a nutrient-rich diet. And more importantly, you won’t become obese and inflamed.
Don’t Count Calories for Weight Loss
The ultra-processed low-calorie rice crackers state that they are 424 kcal per 100g.
We don’t count calories here at Eat Burn Sleep, but look at what you can eat for the same number of calories as these crackers:
A serving of our chicken nuggets @ 200g = 310 kcals.
A serving of our Summer Pudding, 113.2 kcals.
Our Red Thai Vegetable Curry 217.4 kcal
Plus:
Anti-craving Chocolate Shake 92kcal
Plus:
Moroccan Burger 204.4 kcal
Plus:
Butternut Squash & Quinoa Salad 268.4 kcal
You could use the same number of calories (or fewer!) and enjoy easily digested, genuinely healthy food that will help you lose weight and make your brain and body happy.
More importantly, look at the superpower nutrients you are putting inside your body in these quick and easy recipes:
Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, biotin, C, D, E, K, and folate.
Minerals like calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sulfur, and zinc.
Fiber to support your gut microbiome.
Omega 3, the essential fatty acid that helps manage inflammation.
All 9 essential amino acids that your body uses as building blocks for protein.
Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant polyphenols from colorful plant foods.
This is why EBS members are putting their weight issues and inflammatory conditions into remission and enjoying one of life’s joys: Eating delicious food. Just like Natasa:
“Since joining the platform 3 weeks ago, I have lost 3kg, and my bloating is gone.
I have bilateral patellofemoral osteoarthritis (severe pain in both knees) and the pain is now much less. I feel like I can finally start doing movement videos that I previously couldn’t do because of my knee pain.
Also, all your recipes are so tasty. Thank you so much.”
Eating this way will fill you up and allow your body to function as it should. It will make your skin glow, your hair grow and shine, your eyes sparkle, and, without a doubt, make you feel full of joie de vivre!
Remember that when your gut is well-fed, your brain is too. Healthy gut bacteria regulate mood balance and our “happy” neurotransmitters like serotonin. Are there many diets out there that can say the same?
Low-calorie foods for Weight Loss Lead to Misery
Following a low-calorie diet and counting calories all the time will lead to misery.
Weight loss diets gain popularity because people do lose weight at the beginning. Any weight loss regime is the same, whether it is the keto diet, a low-carb diet, or a low-calorie diet.
But keeping the weight off is the challenge. I know because I have tried most of these diets myself. Have you read Is Ozempic a Safe Way to Treat Obesity?, The Dangers of a Vegan Keto Diet or Is The Keto Diet Good For Diabetes?
When you eat low-calorie, nutrient-poor foods, your body is not satiated. The chances are you will think about food all day long because you are starving yourself of essential nutrients that you need to survive.
When you binge because you are so hungry, your body will hold onto that binge food because it worries that you will starve again. And this is how yo-yo dieting starts. Starve and binge. Weight loss and then even more weight gain.
Over time, the chronic inflammation that comes from eating ultra-processed low-calorie foods leads to weight gain, digestive problems, anxiety, brain fog, and depression. It can increase your risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. Packing your body full of these chemicals is making your mind and body ill.
What to Eat to Lose Weight
If you are looking for weight loss that lasts, I suggest you stop counting calories and stay away from ultra-processed low-calorie foods. It doesn’t work as a weight loss strategy, and it is dangerous, unsustainable, and boring!
Instead, give your body the nourishment it needs to feel energized and shed weight – just like EBS member Helen has done:
“I shed 10 pounds (4 and a half kg) following the Six-Week Reset.
I feel so much more balanced and lighter inside and out, plus some digestive issues have disappeared.
The EBS approach is considered gentle and scientifically backed. I’m actively trying to maintain my now thriving gut health ‘garden’ as much as I can, limiting the damage it does in social eating situations.
I’ve never been a great cook, but I find the recipes so easy and filling. My favorites so far are chicken nuggets, zucchini bread, and chicken sausage shakshuka.
Plus, there are options for those of us with a sweet tooth or who can’t face savory protein for breakfast, which doesn’t happen on many healthy eating plans. Thank you, Yalda!”
Make every day count in terms of health and happiness. I hope your day is full of both.
Yalda x
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
Hello Everyone!
I’m sure it must be frightening to hear you have the genetic markers for Alzheimer’s disease. However, please be assured that this doesn’t automatically mean that you will develop the condition.
Why? Because you have the power to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
It’s a bold statement, I know, but as with any inflammatory condition (which Alzheimer’s Disease is), you can use diet and lifestyle to minimize your risk of developing it.
In this article, I will tell you some facts about Alzheimer’s disease and explain how you can optimize your brain health and protect against cognitive decline.
Please share this post with anyone you know who is fearful of developing Alzheimer’s and anyone who cares for someone who has early signs of it. It might make a world of difference to their lives.
Alzheimer’s and Inflammation: The Facts
Let’s establish some of the facts about Alzheimer’s disease:
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. There are an estimated 5.8 million people in the U.S. with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Around 200,000 of these are under the age of 65.
Women are nearly twice as likely to be affected by Alzheimer’s than men.
The inflammation and cellular damage that leads to Alzheimer’s begins years before any symptoms appear.
There are many underlying causes of Alzheimer’s, which is why the search for a single drug cure will never work.
Alzheimer’s is characterized by the appearance of amyloid plaques and knots of tau protein in brain tissue. However, this type of damage occurs in healthy brains as they age and doesn’t explain why some people develop Alzheimer’s and others don’t.
Scientists then discovered that chronic inflammation in the brain drives the progression of Alzheimer’s. It seems to be this combination of chronic inflammation alongside amyloid plaques and tau protein fibers that leads to Alzheimer’s.
Lifestyles Drive Alzheimer’s Risk
Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are more prevalent now than 100 years ago. This is because our diets and lifestyles are radically different:
We are exposed to more environmental toxins and chemicals in food. These toxins alter the gut microbiome and drive inflammation.
We eat junk foods that lack essential vitamins and minerals.
All these factors combine to create a state of chronic inflammation that damages brain tissue, leading to dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s Disease and Gut Health
To understand the origins of Alzheimer’s we need to look at gut health. Gut bacteria have a direct effect on brain health and inflammation. What we eat affects the balance of good and bad gut bacteria and can increase our risk of inflammation in the brain.
If we choose ultra-processed foods filled with refined sugar, processed fats, and chemical additives, we are choosing to damage the gut, promote inflammation, and increase our risk of developing dementia.
If we opt for anti-inflammatory foods that provide brain-healthy nutrients, then we are choosing to nourish our gut bacteria, minimize inflammation, and protect our brains against Alzheimer’s.
Sleep and Neuroinflammation
How well we sleep influences our risk of developing neuroinflammation. Good quality sleep is vital for brain cell “housekeeping” and clearing away amyloid plaques in the brain. If you regularly get less than 7-9 hours’ sleep a night you are depriving your brain of the time it needs to do this repair work.
The Eat Burn Sleep lifestyle supports and promotes healthy sleep and we have specific advice for Insomnia. You might also like to read: What Happens If You Don’t Sleep Enough?
Movement Affects Our Brains
Exercise and movement stimulate blood flow and oxygen circulation to the brain. Brain cells get more nutrients and metabolic waste can be cleared away.
Our program includes a whole series of exercise and movement videos designed to improve your strength without increasing inflammation. Many regular forms of exercise are too strenuous. They spike your cortisol levels which then causes more inflammation.
Stress Response and Inflammation
Stress is a massive factor in chronic inflammation and dementia. We each have the power to reduce the effects of stress and improve our resilience. Regular relaxation is crucial for cognitive wellbeing and we have a library of guided meditations for you to enjoy.
How Long Does Protection Against Alzheimer’s Take?
In a matter of weeks, you can dramatically change your genetic expression and reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. If you are as consistent as possible (I advise an 80/20 on this lifestyle), you give yourself the best protection possible.
Start the Six-Week Reset, and then follow Daily Goals and the monthly planner in the Reboot & Revive section under Lifestyle Guide to make your meals, meditations, exercises, and snacks for each day as easy as possible. Remember that the recipes are family-and-friends-friendly!
Reverse Early Onset Dementia
If you have signs of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or early-onset dementia, you can slow the progression and dramatically change the outcome with the Eat Burn Sleep lifestyle. Give yourself proper rest, daily movement, interesting activities to stimulate your brain, and an anti-inflammatory diet, and you will give your brain the best chance to fight dementia.
My final advice is to start protecting yourself as soon as possible. Don’t live with that fear anymore. You can protect yourself against developing inflammatory conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and look and feel years younger by doing so!
For members seeking more personalised support, the platform also offers dedicated Alzheimer’s advice as part of the Premium Membership. This includes in-depth guidance, research-backed strategies, and practical tools to help reduce risk factors and support long-term brain health.
You might also like:How Does Sleep Help With Inflammation?Brain Food for Studying and FocusSigns of Inflammation That May Surprise You
With love and excellent health, as always!
Yalda x
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
Hi Everyone,
Are you caring for your fascia?
Looking after your fascia is vital if you want to be fit and pain-free. If you are unfamiliar with fascia, let alone why fascia stretching is important, this post is for you.
Fascia is this amazingly dense, clear, 3-dimensional structure that wraps around your joints, ligaments, muscles, tendons, and internal organs. It is made of collagen and elastin and carries more nerve endings than any other tissue.
Every part of your body has layers of interlacing fascia holding everything in place. It’s like an internal bodysuit holding you together! Without it, you would collapse on the floor.
On a basic level, fascia is a support structure allowing easy movement between your body’s muscular, skeletal, and visceral components. It enables proprioception, your body’s sixth sense of action, coordination, and self-movement.
On a deeper level, it transmits thoughts and feelings through millions of nerve pathways. Essentially, fascia allows the conduction of consciousness throughout your body. If you think it, you will feel it in your fascia.
When your fascia gets tight due to immobility, stress, inflammation, or poor nutrition, it causes pain and tension.
Repetitive movements that strain one part of your body
The wrong types of exercise
Surgery
Injuries and old injuries that haven’t healed correctly
Working or living in cold environments
Sedentary lifestyles – fascia requires movement to work efficiently
Physical, mental, and emotional stress
Not breathing correctly
Infections
Poor posture
Physical misalignments and imbalances (we often don’t know we have them!)
Because of the way fascia stretches and contracts, it’s easy to mistake fascia pain for something else. For example, hip pain may be due to fascia tension in your hamstrings. Or your painful shoulder is sore because your neck fascia is tight.
This is why regular, consistent fascia stretching is so important for your health and well-being.
Symptoms of Tight Fascia
Symptoms of tight fascia include:
A tender knot
A deep, aching pain
Tender muscles
Muscle weakness
Circulatory Issues
Swelling
Reduced mobility
Compression
Headaches
Poor sleep quality
Fatigue
Depression
The good news is that fascia is self-healing and can reverse any pain and damage with the right stretches.
Why is Fascia Stretching Important?
Healthy fascia relies on regular movement, stretching, and good hydration. If you are inactive, don’t stretch enough, or don’t drink enough water, your fascia will become dry, tight, and painful.
Any classic stretch can be turned into a fascial stretch, but they are not the same thing.
An effective fascia stretch involves the right dynamic movement and the correct breathing. It should feel good, but it shouldn’t be painful. Not too tight, not too loose, and for the right amount of time – but you will feel your point of sensation.
There is an art to movement, which I teach on the Eat Burn Sleep platform. Fascia loves multi-directional movement so I have created a whole range of videos to guide you through fascia stretching.
Stretching your fascia correctly reduces inflammation, strengthens muscles, and improves body composition. It is good for digestion, the immune system, and mental wellness. These movements will improve your day-to-day activities and help you work, rest, and play in a pain-free way.
To ensure that you keep your fascia in good health:
Live an anti-inflammatory lifestyle. This is what Eat Burn Sleep is all about. We focus on gut health, optimum nutrition, daily movement, and restorative sleep.
Be active and move regularly. Our bodies need motion to maintain healthy circulation and metabolism. If you have a sedentary job, be aware that it takes less than 60 minutes to cause tight fascia in your hamstrings. You must stretch out and move for at least two minutes every hour. Set an alarm if you need reminding. It’s that important.
Stretch regularly to reduce the risk of inflammation, circulatory issues, and pain in your joints.
Adjust your posture. Be mindful of how you are sitting and standing. Slouching or compensating for a sore body part all play havoc with your fascia.
What Does Fascia Stretching Do?
Reduces inflammation
Increases mobility
Releases tension, relaxes and rejuvenates your whole body
Helps you stay mobile as you age.
Increases blood and lymph flow
Supports immune health
Allows for a better range of flexibility and movement
Improves body alignment
Reduces scar tissue
Reduces your risk of injury when exercising
It is so important to stretch and release tension throughout the day so that it doesn’t build up and cause you pain.
How to ‘Feel’ Your Fascia
To feel the connectedness of your fascia, try this exercise:
Sit on a mat, legs in front of you, and relax with your spine elongated. Make sure that you are warm.
Roll your head down slowly, leaning forward, and guide your head to your knees. Can you feel the stretch?
Now point and flex the toes. Feel how that stretch changes. Only you will know how that fascia stretch feels because we all are unique, and our connective tissues are personal to us all.
You should feel the benefits of the proper movement in your brain, too! It’s incredible.So, now you know the fuss about stretching your fascia.
There are over 170 movement videos on the EBS platform, including 16+ stretching videos. All are excellent for your fascia.
Some of them are accompanied by full-body meditations, which are incredibly nourishing for your mind, body, and soul.
Believe me, you will feel amazing following an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.
But don’t just take it from me. This is what EBS Member Natasa has to say about the program:
“I have lost almost 10kg since starting EBS.
I’ve had knee surgery, and my knee pain has really reduced, and my post-op recovery is going very well. I am not taking anything for pain relief.
Everywhere I go, I just talk about your platform. Thank you so much! I absolutely love this lifestyle.”
And, you can check out hundreds more reviews on our Testimonials page.
Are you always hungry and never feel full? Feeling constantly hungry can be confusing and frustrating, especially if your doctor is advising exercise and weight loss.
Maybe you’re exercising a lot and not losing weight. Maybe you’re eating low calorie foods that never fill you up. Or maybe you graze all day and just want to know why your appetite is never satisfied.
In this post, we will explore a huge factor contributing to excessive hunger, and I will tell you how to fix it!
Can’t Stop Eating All Day
There are several reasons why you can’t stop eating all day:
You are not eating or absorbing enough nutrients. Every day, your body needs a certain amount of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. If you are not eating enough, or have digestive problems that affect nutrient absorption, you will still feel hungry. This is your body telling you that it needs more nutrients. Our food lists are designed to provide all the nutrients you need and our meal plans will help you feel satisfied and full.
Emotional eating. Are you bored, stressed, or locked into unhealthy habits? I share tips on how to deal with Emotional Eating in the Masterclass Lives series.
Eating too quickly. Take time to enjoy your meals. Sit at a table away from your desk or the sofa and switch off the TV. Listen to calming, relaxing music if you don’t like silence. Put your phone out of reach while you eat. And most importantly, chew each mouthful thoroughly as this helps your stomach to know when it is full.
You are not getting quality sleep! This can easily make you feel hungry all the time. Let’s find out why sleep is so important for feeling full.
Why Do I Never Full and Always Feel Tired?
If you have had medical conditions ruled out by your doctor and you can’t stop eating and feel tired all the time, you are most likely not getting enough sleep.
Several things happen when you don’t get enough sleep:
Your gut microbes can’t carry out their nightly “gut housekeeping” activities to maintain a healthy digestive system.
Cortisol levels rise. This helps your body handle the stress caused by lack of sleep but it also disrupts blood sugar balance, digestion, and gut bacteria.
Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which keeps lower body fat levels, is dysregulated.
You produce more of the hunger hormone, ghrelin, and less of the fullness hormone, leptin. No matter what you eat you don’t feel full!
You feel tired and less able to exercise so you have less energy expenditure. All those extra calories lead to more weight gain.
You have less resistance to oxidative stress, which increases chronic inflammation.
How much sleep do I need?
Experts recommend between 7 and 9 hours of sleep for an adult.
There is a rare collection of people with a specific gene (1% of the population has DEC2) that can survive on 6 hours of sleep. But this is a very rare gene and the majority of adults need 7-9 hours of sleep to stay healthy.
Diet Affects Sleep
Firstly, lose the ‘diet’ mindset and embrace ‘nutrition’ instead.
These days, people have diets with a lot of processed carbohydrates, fats, and protein but are not getting the vitamins and minerals essential for health.
We can have bigger bodies but be starving on the inside – which will not help us sleep. If you have the right vitamins and minerals, you are full. When your body is satisfied nutritionally, you are more likely to sleep better.
Not having enough of the right nutrition could cause insomnia, which puts you in a spiral of sleep deprivation and undernourishment. This cycle makes your body more susceptible to chronic inflammation and disease.
How Sleep Affects Metabolism
Our bodies run on a circadian rhythm – an internal 24-hour clock. We have rhythms and patterns for sleep, movement, concentration, digestion, cell repair, brain function, and more!
When we live in harmony with these rhythms, we give ourselves the best chance of being healthy. But when we stay up late staring at screens, snacking on junk food, and not getting enough daily movement or daylight then we disrupt this rhythm and trigger health problems.
If you don’t give yourself the opportunity for 7-9 hours of sleep each night, you disrupt your internal body clock. Studies show that sleep deprivation leads to metabolic dysregulation. This presents as weight gain (usually around the belly), food cravings, poor blood sugar regulation, and inflammation. Chronic sleep deprivation is recognized as a significant contributor to the rise of type 2 diabetes – and it can be avoided.
EBS Members Check out the article on Insomnia in the Personalized Advice section. Remember that on the 15th of every month, we bring you a new comprehensively researched article in the Personalized Advice section. Do get in touch if there is a specific condition you would like to see us cover.
How Can You Improve Your Sleep?
The first step is to look at your diet. The Eat Burn Sleep anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle is proven to optimize mental and physical health and promote sound, quality sleep.
This is what EBS member Jocelyn has to say about the program:
“I’ve suffered insomnia since February, and I’ve tried everything under the sun, all the medications, acupuncture, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, and nothing worked until my friend introduced me to EBS. It’s been a bit less than 3 weeks and I’ll admit I have cheat days… and my sleep is back to 70%.
I see it as a silver lining as I had never heard of chronic inflammation before, so this 2 month’s insomnia experience has made me a lot more health-conscious and opened my eyes to so many things!”
Our food lists and meal plans ensure you never feel hungry and get all the nutrients you need. You will never be reaching for food all day long again!And, our Movement Videos and Meditation Guides will help you move each day and relax properly, ready for a good night’s sleep.
Here are a couple of teaser dishes to get you inspired:
Savory Rosemary & Chives Paleo Bread RollsSlow Cooker Oxtail & Vegetables.
Want to know more? You can check out our membership options here and find more sleep talk in:
What Happens If You Don’t SleepWeight Loss & The Link to SleepThe Benefits of Sun Exposure.
I wish you excellent health and a great day,
Yalda x
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
Hi Everyone,
I hope you are well. Today, I want to talk about the diabetes drug Ozempic. It’s one of the big social media topics at the moment because people are using it for weight loss.
However, there are significant health risks to taking prescription medicine for a health condition if you don’t have that condition and without your doctor’s approval. People are buying Ozempic from online pharmacies and unregulated websites, leading to a shortage of the drug for diabetics who desperately need it.
So let’s dive into this topic and see whether Ozempic is a safe way to treat obesity and weight loss, and what the natural alternatives are.
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic is one of the brand names for semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. The other well-known brand name is Wegovy.
In 2017 the FDA approved the use of Ozempic as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycaemic control in adults with Type 2 Diabetes. It helps diabetics feel full and reduces their appetite but it is important to note that Ozempic isn’t approved as a weight loss medication.
On the other hand, Wegovy (also semaglutide) is approved as a weight loss drug. However, neither Ozempic nor Wegovy are designed to be used by people who only want to lose a small amount of weight.
Side Effects of Ozempic
Any doctor will tell you that medication has side effects. Doctors weigh up the pros and cons of a medication based on your medical history and the potential benefits to your health. Ozempic is only for patients with Type 2 Diabetes and must be used under medical supervision. It is not meant to be a temporary drug or for people who want to lose a few pounds.
The common side effects, according to Ozempic’s official website are:
Nausea
Vomiting
Stomach pain
Acid reflux
Headache
Dehydration
Diarrhea
Dizziness
Cramping
Constipation
These side effects can kick in within hours of Type 2 diabetics starting the drug which is why the dosage is gradually increased under medical supervision.
There is also a warning about the risk of possible thyroid tumors, including cancer. GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs like Ozempic are known to cause thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents. The manufacturers of Ozempic say that the risk of this happening in humans is as yet “undetermined” and only time will tell now that more people are using the drug.
They also warn against using Ozempic if:
You or anyone in your family have ever had Medullary Thyroid Cancer (MTC) or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2)
You are allergic to any of the ingredients in Ozempic. Severe hypersensitivity reactions (anaphylaxis, angioedema) have been reported in patients treated with Ozempic.
They then list even more severe potential side effects:
Inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis). Their website states that you should stop taking Ozempic if you have severe pain in your stomach, with or without vomiting. Ozempic has not been studied in patients with a history of pancreatitis.
Vision changes.
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
Kidney problems (kidney failure). As stated on their website, there have been post-marketing reports of acute kidney injury and worsening of chronic renal failure in patients treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists. Some of these are reported in patients with no known underlying renal disease. Most reported events occurred in patients who had experienced nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or dehydration.
Serious allergic reactions.
Gallbladder problems.
This is why you need to be under medical supervision if you take Ozempic or Wegovy. Doctors who understand the physiology of semaglutide and know your medical history should be the only people prescribing these drugs.
Is Ozempic Dangerous for Weight Loss?
As I’m sure you’ve realized by now, the risks of taking Ozempic for weight loss are not worth it.
One final point about side effects: Medicine.gov lists all of the precautions about semaglutide, the ingredient in Ozempic, and has added:
You should know that your mental health may change in unexpected ways, and you may become suicidal while you are using semaglutide injections for weight loss.
Why put your health at such serious risk when there are easier ways to lose weight? Also, when you stop using the drug, the weight piles back on. It is not a long-lasting, sustainable solution.
To achieve lasting, healthy weight loss results, you need to abandon the idea of a “magic pill” and embrace holistic health.
Weight loss isn’t just a simple matter of cutting calories. It requires knowing what to eat, how to move, and how to deal with negative thoughts that sabotage your weight loss efforts.
This is what the Eat Burn Sleep platform is about. We have food lists, meal plans, movement videos, guided meditations, health Masterclasses, and more, all designed to support you on your weight loss journey.
Can Ozempic Affect Fertility?
No one knows yet if Ozempic affects human fertility or pregnancy, but the manufacturers advise stopping the drug two months before a planned pregnancy.
Animal studies reveal why. In a combined fertility and embryo development study using rats, small doses were given to male and female rats before mating. The offspring had reduced growth and fetal abnormalities in heart and blood vessels, cranial bones, vertebrae, and ribs. In studies using rabbits, pregnant rabbits experienced early pregnancy losses along with increased fetal kidney, liver, and skeletal abnormalities.
Long-Term Effects of Weight Loss Injections
Your doctor will advise you about all the effects of weight loss injections.
Studies show that stopping weight loss drugs, injections, and other weight loss regimes will likely lead to regaining weight within a few months. It stops intuitive eating, so you do not know when to eat and when you are full, which also affects other areas of your health, like sleep.
Does Lack of Sleep Cause Weight Gain?
Yes! Not getting enough good quality sleep will hamper weight loss. Sleep is essential for your body to regulate hunger hormones and appetite. Lack of sleep makes you prone to cravings, overeating, and fatigue. I talk about this topic more in Weight Loss and The Link to Sleep.
Is Obesity a Chronic Disease?
Obesity is a chronic inflammatory condition that can be managed naturally and safely without injections and extreme weight loss regimes. Millions of people struggle with obesity because of highly addictive ultra-processed foods that promote weight gain and inflammation. It takes more than an injectable drug to deal with this issue, which is why we have so many weight loss success stories here at Eat Burn Sleep.
Weight loss can occur quickly on EBS – and it lasts. The only side effects are more energy, comfortable digestion, no cravings, and excellent mental well-being! This is why our program is used and recommended by doctors and medical professionals all over the world.
But don’t just take my word for it. Check out our members’ reviews from people like Kirstin:
“The movement videos really help my energy levels. My immune system has improved, less of the dreaded colds.
Working with young kids I’m constantly surrounded but I’ve been on top form the last year and fought off anything relatively quickly.
Gobsmacked at how quickly I got pregnant as I wasn’t even sure it was even possible.
My skin is clear and fresh not to mention the weight loss of 15kg and rediscovering my wardrobe! My mental health has improved too!”
How to Manage Obesity Naturally
Optimum gut health is the foundation of the EBS approach. It is essential for weight loss because the microbes in your gut regulate appetite and weight balance. Gut microbes can be modulated positively or negatively by different lifestyle and dietary factors and can even ‘turn off’ any hereditary links to obesity (Cuevas-Sierra et al., 2019).
Our food lists and meal plans are designed to nourish your gut flora and keep you energized and satisfied. Snack options are included if you want to snack but the meals are so filling you probably won’t want to!
Try these recipes that aid weight loss (when eaten as part of a varied anti-inflammatory diet, daily): Egg Muffins: Sweet Potatoes, Carrots & Chives, Paleo Energy Bars, and Chicken Tagine With Preserved Lemons.
You will be amazed at the transformation!
Take a look at the program and check out our membership options now.
You may also want to read:
Why Am I Always Hungry?How to Lose Weight For and During HolidaysBest Exercise to Lose Belly Fat Quickly
As always, I wish you excellent health and a wonderful day!
Yalda x
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
ClientEarth, Little House of Science and Parenting with Purpose, invite you on a journey from farm to fork. Our panel of expert speakers will explore the hidden impact of our global food system on the health of us and our planet and ask: Does what we eat matter?
Join us for a morning of impactful discussion and learn more about how ClientEarth uses the power of the law to bring about critical change in the fight to protect people and nature.
ClientEarth are one of the world’s most ambitious environmental organizations. Their lawyers and policy experts are dedicated to protecting life on Earth. They focus on the most pressing environmental challenges and use the law to create systemic change and build a future in which people and the planet thrive together.
Date: Wednesday 19th June 2024
Timings: 9am – 11am with talks beginning at 9:30amVenue: The Royal Geographical Society, London, SW7 2AR
Yalda is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist with a foundation in Biomedicine. She has spent over a decade researching chronic inflammation and gut health and supports thousands of people worldwide through her health education platform Eat Burn Sleep.
Buy Tickets for Food for Thought: Does What We Eat Matter?
How can I flatten my tummy?
I get asked this question a lot, and I’m pleased to say that my answer never fails!
Every week, I receive testimonials from members saying they cannot believe their weight loss and the difference in their body shape. This is why I’m writing this article about how you can lose belly fat quickly and get a flat tummy.
Best Exercise to Lose Belly Fat and Flatten Your Tummy
Before we dive into the exercises, I need to explain the different types of fat we all have. There are two main types:
Subcutaneous fat is the fat lying just underneath your skin. It is usually harmless and helps regulate body temperature and protect your bones from injury.
Visceral fat lies much deeper in your abdominal cavity. It can build up around your stomach, liver, kidneys, intestines, and inside your arteries. This type of fat behaves in a different way to subcutaneous fat. It releases pro-inflammatory chemicals and hormones, increasing your risk of systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, Type-II diabetes, and heart disease.
Women who have had children are more prone to visceral belly fat than women who haven’t. And when a woman reaches menopause, the drop in estrogen encourages more fat deposition in the belly area – regardless of whether you have had kids or not.
However, both men and women of all ages can reduce the risk of visceral fat build-up by eating foods that do not contribute to belly fat (and some of it is surprising) while doing exercises to strengthen and tone the abdominal muscles.
The key here is consistency. If you want to see positive results, you have to build healthy habits that last.
Trends in exercises and exercise machines for losing belly fat and flattening your tummy come and go. They are not all good for your body. Many trendy exercises can inflame your body, increasing your risk of disease. And some exercises may be fine when you are young but less suitable as you age. For example, I was a runner until my physiotherapist put me off by asking if I wanted joint and bladder issues!
What Exercise Should You Do Every Day to Lose Belly Fat?
Forcing yourself through a grueling exercise routine for an hour every day to lose belly fat isn’t as effective as any gentle movements in the movements section.
Prolonged, intensive exercise has other drawbacks too. Some studies show that high-intensity exercise releases endorphins linked to increased negative feelings and pain. This could be one of the reasons why many people dread this sort of daily exercise and quickly abandon it.
To reduce belly fat and focus on flattening your tummy, start the Six-Week Reset as soon as you can and do these exercises every day:
19-minute Stretch For Digestive Issues19-minute Core Fire & Body Strength25-minute Yoga Routine for Bloating & Digestion31-minute Powerful Core & Glutes34-minute Arms, Abs & Glutes26-minute Yoga & Pilates
I recommend measuring yourself today and again next week to see the difference!
If you do this you cannot go wrong in your quest to reduce belly fat and flatten your tummy.
These powerful movements are easy to follow but do not have you breaking into hot sweats. They are not jarring to your joints and bones so there is no risk of creating future joint issues. Check out the ones with meditations. They are so nourishing to the mind, body, and soul.
How To Flatten Your Tummy Quickly
Start the Six-Week Reset as soon as possible, like today. The Six-Week Reset tells you what to eat each day and when to incorporate the exercises and meditation practices. Our Red List of foods identifies the foods that contribute to belly fat. Stick with the Green List foods, with occasional treats from the Orange List and you will be successful!
Follow the daily movement plans and focus on the exercises that develop core strength and tone your abdominal muscles. Get out for a walk as often as you can too. Walking complements the EBS lifestyle, helping you reduce belly fat and gain muscle. I love walking, and I share my reasons why in this article: 10 Reasons to Walk.
Even a 12-minute Morning Wake-up will do wonders to get you started. As long as you enjoy plenty of the anti-inflammatory foods and drinks listed in the Lifestyle Guide, you will never be hungry.
Sleep and Weight Loss
Remember that you will also sleep better when you follow the Eat Burn Sleep program. Good quality sleep is crucial for healthy weight balance and there are many studies to prove this. Overall, adults who have 7- 8 hours of good quality sleep a night have less visceral belly fat than someone who only has 5 hours or less.
Read more about it in this post: Weight Loss & the Link to Sleep.
You can age well and have a flat tummy. And it’s never too late to start working toward this. Weight gain can be safely turned around with the right foods, movement, and relaxation. I do all of the above and am in the best shape ever. I don’t do anything extra!
But don’t just take my word for it. Check out our members’ reviews from people like Ingrid, Selima, and Julie…
“EBS not only helped me mentally, but it also gave me the push I needed to finally take control of my drinking. I used to love a drink at the end of a busy day, but it got so easily out of hand for me and I felt so well by following the lifestyle that I decided I didn’t need to do it anymore. That was last June and I’ve never felt better.
My weight has always been between 9.7 and 10 stone and as a result, it’s now been 8st for the last few months.” Ingrid“I can’t thank you enough for all the goodness you’ve brought to my life. Feeling so good after a three-year burnout and three kids, thanks to your food and motivational insights. Plus, 10 kilos down with very little effort postpartum!
Thank you!!!” Selima
“I am so impressed with what the EBS lifestyle has done for my body. My husband, family, and friends have all noticed as well. Nearly 5 months later and weighing a healthy 12lbs less than when I started, I love it!” Julie
Do you want results like these? Get started on your flat belly TODAY! Take a look at the program and check out our membership options now.
Once you’ve joined, you can catch the Masterclass Lives on How to Stay Fit Beyond 35, Perimenopause & Menopause Weight Loss, How to Get Rid of Cravings and Emotional Eating.
You might also enjoy:
Does Cortisol Cause Weight Gain?How Much Does Inflammation Affect Weight Loss?Is AG1 Supplement Good For You?
With love for your weight loss journey,
Yalda x
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
Hello Everyone,
I am often asked about the signs of inflammation and how to tell if it’s a problem. But honestly, chronic inflammation will express itself differently for each of us! This is because we have a unique genetic makeup that influences our health.
However, there are some common signs of inflammation to look out for, some of which will surprise you.
This is not an exhaustive list, but I hope it gives you an idea of how many different ways chronic inflammation can appear in your body.
Should I Be Tested For Inflammation?
In some cases, your doctor or healthcare practitioner may run blood or stool tests to check for inflammatory markers. The most commonly tested marker in your blood is CRP – C-Reactive protein. Elevated levels of CRP indicate acute inflammation in your system.
However, CRP levels do not give the whole picture and you can still have chronic inflammation even if your levels are within the normal range.
What Causes Chronic Inflammation?
It’s easy to get attached to the name of a disease and what medicines you can take to deal with it rather than thinking about the underlying cause. So many people get rid of their health issues on the Eat Burn Sleep program because it deals with the underlying cause.
When we talk about chronic inflammation we are looking at two main underlying causes: diet and lifestyle.
Yes, genetics play a role too. But even if you carry a genetic predisposition for an inflammatory condition, it is your diet and lifestyle that switches on those genes.
Diet, Lifestyle, and Chronic Inflammation
Diet is a major underlying cause of chronic inflammation because of the number of Ultra Processed Foods and Drinks (UPFDs) available now. These foods and drinks are high in refined sugars, industrially processed oils, artificial sweeteners, additives, and emulsifiers. They lack fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
They aren’t real food; they are the products of a chemistry lab! And we as humans are not designed to thrive on such things.
Lifestyle is the other major underlying cause. We have become reliant on smartphones and screens that disrupt our sleep. Millions of people are dealing with high levels of stress. And we move our bodies far less than we need to.
A sedentary lifestyle is strongly linked with chronic inflammation and is known to increase your risk of developing serious conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The same goes for stress too. Ongoing stress disturbs gut health, immunity, brain function, and cellular repair, opening the door to weight gain and chronic inflammation.
Eat Burn Sleep – The Power of an Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle
Living a low-inflammation lifestyle protects you from disease and helps you recover from illness and surgery more efficiently.
The Eat Burn Sleep approach is more than just an anti-inflammatory diet. It is a complete 360-degree platform of inflammation-reducing tools.
The program includes:
Food plans
Recipes
Guided meditations
Movement videos
Health masterclasses, and more.
It is a program that works. We have countless testimonials from EBS members who have had an inflammatory condition, followed the program, and then returned to see their doctor who is astounded at the results.
Take Natasa, who saw incredible results after only 3 weeks on the program:
“Since joining the platform 3 weeks ago, I have lost 3kg, and my bloating is gone.
I have bilateral patellofemoral osteoarthritis (severe pain in both knees) and the pain is now much less. I feel like I can finally start doing movement videos that previously I couldn’t do because of my knee pain. Also, all your recipes are so tasty.
Thank you so much.”
I am passionate about helping people live healthier, happier lives, so you can imagine how it feels when testimonials like this come in!
How does the program work?
I always suggest that people start with the 6-week Reset. This is designed to optimize your gut microbiota and liver function. It takes just 42 days to feel incredible before you carry your anti-inflammatory lifestyle forward with all the tools that you need.
The program is all about moderation and enjoying life – not deprivation and restriction. It’s about damage limitation, not perfection! With the health education Eat Burn Sleep provides, people make better choices for themselves and their families – promoting healthier lives for all ages.
Want to find out more? Enjoy a sneak peek into the program and find out more about our membership options now.
You might also like:How Does Sleep Help With Inflammation?Heart Health: Do You Have a Heart-healthy Lifestyle?Recovering From CancerWith love,Yalda x
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
The Most Effective Ways to Eliminate Candida Naturally
Hello Everyone!
I suffered from candida overgrowth a while ago, and I know how it feels to have it. This is why I delved into the subject and want to share my knowledge of what kills candida fast, in a natural way.
The symptoms of candida overgrowth (also called candidiasis) can be hard to identify because it can present in lots of ways. It is often mistaken for conditions like Chronic Fatigue and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
So, if you are looking for a fast, natural way to get rid of candida overgrowth and keep it at bay, you are in the right place.
What Is Candida?
Candida is a type of yeast, a microscopic fungus that lives in and on your body. It is part of your microflora, the community of bacteria, yeasts, viruses, and other microbes present in your gut, throat, lungs, skin, and genitals.
Candidiasis that occurs in the mouth, vagina, or on the skin (including on the penis) is often called thrush. White patches, itchiness, and soreness are tell-tale signs of a thrush infection.
Under normal conditions, candida is kept in check by other microbes. It is only when the balance of microbes is disturbed that candida has the opportunity to grow. And if it sees an opportunity, it will grow quickly!
Most candida problems can be resolved with diet, lifestyle, and in some cases, supplements. However, there is a severe form of infection called systemic candidiasis which requires medical attention. This occurs when the yeast infects major organs like the lungs and kidneys. Systemic candidiasis commonly affects people with a compromised immune system such as HIV patients, and people taking immune-suppressant drugs.
What Causes Candida Overgrowth?
Common causes include:
Stress.
Pregnancy.
Taking oral contraceptive pills or Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
Smoking.
A diet high in Ultra Processed Foods and Drinks (UPFDs).
Chronic illness.
Using a catheter.
A compromised immune system.
These issues affect the balance of microflora in and on your body. When the microbes are disrupted, candida takes the opportunity to thrive.
What Are The Signs of Candida Overgrowth?
Signs and symptoms of a yeast overgrowth will be different for everyone, but they include:
Sore patches in the mouth
White coating on the tongue
Cracked corners of the mouth
Sore throat
Difficulty swallowing
Sore, itchy genitals, and in women, a foul-smelling vaginal discharge that looks like cottage cheese
If it is left unchecked, candida can start to attack the lining of the gut, causing leaky gut syndrome. Damage to the gut lining allows partially digested foods and toxins into the bloodstream. These can trigger an immune response which then leads to chronic inflammation.
How Do You Test for Candida?
Various blood, urine, and stool tests can check for candida overgrowth. And there’s also a simple home saliva test that you can do. If you follow me on Instagram, you can find it in my reels. Do check out the videos for candida support, too.
Diet and Lifestyle Tips to Kill Candida Overgrowth, Fast
Eat Burn Sleep’s anti-candida protocol is powerful, effective, and long-lasting.
The plan focuses on anti-inflammatory foods that support a healthy balance of microflora in your body. Unlike other candida diet plans, the Eat Burn Sleep approach doesn’t tell you to “starve” the candida because ultimately, that doesn’t work!
You don’t want to be feeding it with sugars and ultra-processed foods, but neither do you want to try and “starve” it out of existence because that won’t happen.
You need to take a multi-pronged approach to candida management that includes:
Foods that support a healthy balance of microflora
Anti-inflammatory foods
Anti-fungal foods
Foods that support your liver detoxification pathways. Your liver has to deal with the candida die-off and it needs plenty of help with this.
Foods to support regular, comfortable bowel movements. This ensures the dead candida leaves your system!
Relaxation and meditation. Stress is a big trigger for candida overgrowth. If you don’t learn how to handle stress, you are leaving the door open for candida to return.
Restful, restorative sleep.
We have a powerful candida protocol as part of our Premium Membership. The protocol covers the diet, lifestyle, and supplement advice you need to kill candida overgrowth quickly and naturally. You can use this protocol alongside the Six-Week Reset program which gives you food lists and meal plans to keep you motivated and inspired.
How to Manage Candida Die-Off
You will know when the candida overgrowth is dying, and it usually happens by day 3 of the protocol. It’s that quick!
When the candida starts to die off it can cause a few uncomfortable side effects like wind, bloating, nausea, and fatigue. This is when you won’t feel like yourself, but the upturn is so worth it. Oh my goodness, you will feel amazing afterward!
Just keep going, follow the plan, drink plenty of water, and rest as much as you can.
How To Stop Candida Overgrowth From Coming Back
Once you’ve dealt with the overgrowth and are feeling better, I recommend you follow the overall Eat Burn Sleep approach to maintain this improvement.
The EBS diet and lifestyle can keep candida at bay because it deals with the underlying cause of yeast overgrowth – poor gut health and imbalanced microflora.
The movement and meditation practices are a powerful part of this approach too. Many of our members have been surprised by the power of the neuroplasticity exercises and how their brain feels rewired afterward. By following these exercises they have been able to break strong addictions to sugar and processed foods.
Strong immunity, resilience to stress, healthy digestion, boundless energy, mental clarity, and sharp concentration – these are some of the amazing outcomes you can expect from the Eat Burn Sleep diet and lifestyle. So if yeast overgrowth is a regular occurrence for you, I advise following this lifestyle to combat and prevent it!
This is what EBS member Sharon says about the program…
I’m really enjoying the EBS lifestyle, and have been following it for 10 months now, I feel the best in years, I have a flat tummy and suffer much less with bloating.
When I did the six-week reset the first week was hard but by day 5 I was feeling so good it encouraged me to keep going.
I am slimmer around my middle and have a lot of energy. My joints feel so much better. I can tell I have less inflammation in my body. The workouts are great and because they are short, I always can fit them into my day.
I love all the information and master classes on the platform, as I like to learn about health and nutrition. I will be subscribing for another year – thanks Yalda for all your work, in helping yourself, you are now helping so many people.
Hi Everyone,
Do you enjoy socializing with a drink? So do I! I am not a big drinker and it doesn’t take much to make me feel unwell after a night out. But as with many things in life, it’s all about moderation and having fun.
Let’s face it, we are not perfect and hopefully never will be. Life wouldn’t be life without ups and downs, boring times, and fun times! And I have a top tip for managing drinking and socializing: drink less and have more fun.
It’s important to socialize and see people. It benefits your mental health and strengthens your immune system. And for many people, socializing goes hand in hand with enjoying a drink. Because of this, small amounts of alcohol are allowed as part of the Eat Burn Sleep lifestyle.
Of course, the downside of having a drink is feeling rough the next day! If you want to know how to deal with a hangover, this post is for you.
Why Am I So Hungry With a Hangover?
If you’re like me, after a couple of glasses of wine, you won’t care about watching what you eat. And the next day you feel so ravenous you wolf down food and don’t feel full. So what’s going on?
There are a few reasons why a hangover makes you feel hungry:
Alcohol is essentially liquid sugar. When you enjoy a few drinks the sugar floods into your bloodstream, elevating your blood sugar levels. A few hours later, your blood sugar levels fall rapidly, leaving you hungry for starchy foods.
Alcohol is dehydrating. Dehydration can make you crave food as the body sometimes mistakes thirst for hunger.
Sleep is badly affected by alcohol – especially deep, restorative sleep. You might feel drowsy and fall asleep quickly, but your normal cycles of deep sleep and lighter sleep will be disrupted.
Poor quality sleep affects your hunger and satiety hormones. Without good sleep, you will have more ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and less leptin (the satiety hormone).
You may be interested in reading about how good, regular sleep helps you lose weight.
Your liver has to work hard to detoxify alcohol. This process uses up a lot of energy and nutrients so it makes sense that your body craves food to keep up with this demand.
How To Recover From a Hangover
Firstly, don’t feel guilty or beat yourself up. You’ve had a great time, and life is to be enjoyed. Overindulging happens.
If you can begin your hangover recovery plan before you go to sleep, that is a great start.
When you get home, drink plenty of water with added electrolytes. Electrolyte minerals like magnesium and potassium help your body to rehydrate faster than if you drink plain water. You can see which electrolyte products I recommend on the Yalda Loves page and I also use this simple homemade electrolyte mixture. Sometimes I take a dose of Alka seltzer* too, to prevent acid indigestion. All the sugar in the alcohol is a big trigger for reflux.
When you get up the next morning, repeat the above. You need to rehydrate and not overtax yourself.
(*Please check with your doctor before taking any over-the-counter medicines.)
What to Eat the Morning After
When I wake up with a hangover, I crave sugar badly, and the last thing I want to eat is something healthy like eggs and salmon! So, I make my super yummy and nutrient-dense coconut protein shake. It satisfies all my sweet cravings while stabilizing my blood sugar levels.
Other great breakfast options include:
Bananas are packed with magnesium, vitamin B6, and fiber.
Avocados are another great source of fiber, magnesium, and potassium to help optimize energy levels and blood pressure.
Almonds for fiber, B vitamins, and antioxidant vitamin E.
And if you can face them, eggs! Boiled, scrambled, poached, or in our delicious Shakshuka recipe.
Eggs are a fantastic source of protein, B vitamins, and glutathione – our master antioxidant nutrient. Your liver needs plenty of glutathione and B-vitamins to detoxify alcohol so it’s a good idea to top up after a night out.
Later on, you could enjoy a bowl of our Immune Boosting Chicken Soup. It’s hydrating and packed with liver-health ingredients like egg yolk, turmeric, carrots, lemon, and olive oil.
You want to fill your body with nutrients and resist the urge to eat junk food. Junk food is precisely that – junk. Ultimately, it will make you feel worse.
You don’t want to punish yourself. Nourish yourself. Eat Burn Sleep’s anti-inflammatory foods deliver what your body needs when you have a hangover.
Members: There’s an Overindulgence Recovery Protocol in the Membership Section, which also covers recovering from overindulging in food.
Non-Members/Members: You could make these egg muffins before your evening out so that you have a healthy snack on hand when you get home.
What to Drink When You Have a Hangover
Water is the most important drink to help relieve a hangover. Drink it plain or add slices of fresh lemon for a boost of vitamin C.
Coffee can add to blood sugar imbalance but if you really want one, have one. Just be sure to have it after a meal and not on an empty stomach.
Green tea has more antioxidants than other forms of tea. It’s a good option for maintaining healthy blood pressure, regulating blood sugars, and optimizing your metabolism (among many other health benefits).
The caffeine in green tea is counterbalanced by an amino acid called theanine. Theanine soothes your nervous system to help you feel alert and calm at the same time.
Get Moving and Shake Off That Hangover
Gentle movement and exercise will get your blood flowing and boost your endorphins (those happy mood chemicals). Aim for a gentle workout, light jog, or easy yoga session. If you can get outside in the sunshine, all the better. Natural daylight and vitamin D will help your body get back into its normal rhythms.
Then, later in the day, Eat Burn Sleep members can relax and enjoy a soothing meditation bath before bed.
What to Drink to Avoid a Hangover
What are the best drinks to have to avoid a hangover? Wine, beer, spirits? Or just let go and enjoy a few cocktails?
Here’s what I do on a night out with friends…
1/ Alternate water and alcoholic drinks to avoid becoming dehydrated.
A little trick is to order sparkling water with ice and a slice of lemon so people assume you are drinking alcohol (and you aren’t being a joy killer) when, in fact, you are taking a little break and having water.
2/ Steer clear of cocktails
I try to steer clear of cocktails because they are loaded with sugar, and I would prefer to save those calories for a nice paleo muffin the next day!
Sugar makes everything worse because it disrupts the healthy bacteria in your gut. Drinking sugary cocktails is a surefire way to feel even worse the next day.
If you love cocktails, try switching to plain spirits like vodka, tequila, and gin with soda water, lime, or a drop of cordial. That amount of cordial is fine compared to how much sugar there would be if it were a cocktail. Again, it is about moderation and finding the right middle ground.
3/ Limit wine and champagne
As much as I love a good glass of wine, I only have one. Maybe two! My health issues make me feel how much yeast and sugar (from the fructose) there is in those drinks, and I invariably feel it the next day. But if you are dining out, by all means, do enjoy some good wine.
I hope this was helpful to you. If you have any tips, please share them in our members’ health community or drop me a message on Instagram.
Don’t forget to smile and enjoy having a fantastic social life!
I chat about the importance of socializing with Nick Potter in the podcast about the behavioral immune system. It’s fascinating! We talk about the immune system, gut health, and socializing (amongst many other things!). Definitely worth a listen!
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Also, if you find that you are regularly getting hungover and feeling anxious or depressed, please know that we have personalized advice for depression on this platform. Plus, Insomnia and 30+ other conditions.
Enjoy your night out!
Yalda x
About the Author
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist with a foundation in Biomedicine. She studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London and has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
Hi Everyone,
I am often asked, “Is AG1 supplement good for you?” And I have to say no! When I first saw it (I like to keep up to date with new products so I ordered a packet for myself) I was horrified by the ingredients. I was so horrified that I returned the product. Let me explain so you can learn how to spot problematic ingredients too.
What is AG1?
AG1 is a multivitamin and herbal powder formula that you mix with water to make a healthy drink. It is heavily endorsed by doctors and celebrities and marketed with phrases such as ‘Promotes Gut Health,’ ‘Supports Immunity,’ and ‘Helps Recovery.’
But the extensive list of ingredients doesn’t stack up to be as healthy as it makes out.
Firstly, everyone needs to know that supplements are not FDA-approved (Food and Drug Administration). Supplement manufacturers are responsible for their products’ safety but do not need to prove their safety.
Nor do they need to prove the effectiveness of the supplements.
A supplement manufacturer may do business with another manufacturer who may verify the safety of their ingredients before they use them. But the other manufacturer does not have to prove the safety of their ingredients, either.
The Food and Drug Administration provides no safety certification for supplement formulas – or their ingredients, including
additives. Additives have never been rigorously tested.
For reassurance, I always advise using a trusted brand, like Minami or Solgar who extensively research their ingredients and products. You can see more brands I love and trust on my Yalda Loves page. However, no matter how good a supplement is, it cannot replace a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Also, please ask yourself what you want from your supplement. For instance, you can easily reach your weight loss goals, manage depression, ease pain, optimize energy levels, and discover glowing skin by following the EBS anti-inflammatory lifestyle! The effects are incredible, and they keep on coming!
What Do Supplements Contain?
Many popular supplements contain unnecessary excipients, fillers, stabilizers, bulking agents, and preservatives. A supplement company can get away with using cheap additives because they don’t have to comply with any food and drug laws. This lack of regulation and use of cheap filler ingredients is partly why supplement manufacturing is a billion-dollar industry!
It is essential to know what to look for in a good quality supplement and to spot cheap, unnecessary ingredients. I urge you not to be swayed by endorsements from doctors or celebrities or to buy things online without understanding the ingredients.
Is AG1 Good For You?
AG1 has been around for a while, is recommended by doctors, and has famous people as investors. So, there’s a lot to ‘trust’ about the brand. Endorsed by Dr. Chatterjee, Dr. Mark Hyman, Huberman Lab, and Dr. David Sinclair, it is not a surprise that their revenue numbers are apparently through the roof. Doctors are telling you that it is good for you.
AG1 was founded in 2010 and was originally called Athletic Greens. It is a blend of 75 vitamins, minerals, superfoods, probiotics, and adaptogens, with no GMOs, herbicides, pesticides, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. According to their website, AG1 is made from the highest quality ingredients under the strictest standards – but bear in mind that there are no strict standards in place by the FDA.
The Risks of Taking AG1
Supplements are huge money-makers, and the manufacturers don’t need to prove their safety.
Even when taking supplements from ‘reputable’ brands, it’s always wise to ensure that you go over the ingredients with your nutritionist or healthcare provider. This minimizes the risk of :
Contraindications with medications or other supplements.
Accidentally taking too much of a vitamin or mineral.
Sensitivities to ingredients that are not classed as dangerous to health.
AG1 is full of active ingredients beneficial to health such as B vitamins, zinc, and vitamin C. However, this high amount of active ingredients may be difficult for some people to digest and assimilate. And many of the herbals have well-recognized potential risks. For example, too much licorice can lead to hypokalemia and hypertension and some people are more sensitive to licorice exposure (Kwon et al., 2020). There is no caution about this on their website, by the way.
The most significant problem I noticed within seconds of looking at the ingredients is soy lecithin.
Soy lecithin harms the gut microbiome (Miclotte et al, 2020) and may trigger gut dysbiosis. It is NOT good for gut health, the immune system, or aiding recovery. It does the complete opposite.
Why the AG1 Ingredient Soy Lecithin Has Health Risks
Soy lecithin is added to products as an emulsifier, not for health benefits. You could argue that AG1 is using it for this reason and the good ingredients will outweigh any harmful effects. But, soy lecithin is thesecond largest ingredient in the supplement!
Research is ongoing into the impact of emulsifiers like soy lecithin on health, but so far we know that:
Higher levels of soy lecithin encourage Enterococcus and Clostridium bacteria in the microbiota. These are pathogenic and lead to disease.
Soy lecithin is associated with a decline in the diversity of the gut microbiome (Miclotte et al, 2020).
By disrupting the microbiome, emulsifiers contribute to a pro-inflammatory state and the development of Metabolic Syndrome (Miclotte et al, 2020).
Disruption of the gut microbiome leads to a dysregulated immune system, which leads to chronic inflammation. This manifests in different ways for each individual and can show up as alopecia, candida & H-pylori, depression, IBS, bloating, migraines, obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, skin inflammation – the list goes on!
So, if you have an inflammatory condition and you regularly take a supplement containing a large amount of soy lecithin, you could be making your condition worse.
A footnote at the end of the label states: This product contains a premium lecithin for phosphatidyl serine and phosphatidylcholine. The metabolism of phosphatidylcholine from soy lecithin in the gut microbiota has been linked to cardiovascular disease, as discussed in studies (Wang et al., 2011, Tang & Hazen, 2014).
How is Soy Lecithin Produced?
To make soy lecithin you must first extract soybean oil from raw soybeans using an industrial solvent. The oil then goes through a process called degumming. This involves mixing water with the oil until the lecithin separates from it. After that, the lecithin is then dried and often bleached. The DNA in soy lecithin is degraded during this process, so it is impossible to tell whether it is GMO or not. Also, I am not sure what AG1 means by premium soy lecithin.
Is Inulin, Another AG1 Ingredient, Safe?
The other AG1 ingredient linked to health issues is inulin, the fourth ingredient listed.
Inulin is a prebiotic fiber that can alter your microbiota. In some instances this can be helpful but if your microbiome is already out of balance there is the risk of feeding the harmful microbes.
Animal studies show that inulin disturbs systemic cholesterol and bile acid metabolism and may have detrimental effects on liver function. (Pauly et al., 2020). And be careful if you have digestive problems as inulin can cause bloating, excess wind, cramps, and diarrhea (WebMD).
Again, many articles state the health properties of inulin. It is important to run through ingredients with your nutritionist (or contact us if you are a member) to make sure they are right for you and your specific health needs.
Reading one of AG1’s clever marketing statements “AG1 empowers the gut for whole body health” I’m afraid I have to disagree. Soy lecithin disempowers your gut, increasing the risk of disease. But I do agree with their statement: We can’t achieve a healthier everything else without a healthy gut.
Beware of Marketing Words!
They could cost you your health.
The key takeaways here are:
The FDA does not regulate supplement companies and their products.
Marketing slogans exist purely to make you buy the product.
Always read the ingredients list on any supplement carefully and speak to your healthcare practitioner (or us, if you are an EBS Member) before taking them.
Taking supplements – even those endorsed by doctors and famous people – may leave your body susceptible to disease if they contain potentially harmful ingredients.
AG1 or Eat Burn Sleep – Which is the Best Investment For Your Health?
Consider how much it will cost you to make you unhealthy in the long run:
AG1’s ‘BEST VALUE’ package is for two people at £2,328.00 ($2,796.70) a year.
For a single subscription (at the time of writing, there was an offer of £79 per month), which is £948.00 (approx.$1,140) a year for a ‘health’ supplement!
Our Premium EBS Membership, which gives you access to everything you need to support your health, is only £250 a year, without health risks and long-term positive effects.
Knowing what is good for you and how your body works is the best way to take care of yourself. And the EBS platform enables you to do exactly that.
A year’s subscription to Eat Burn Sleep gives you the knowledge and tools you need. It is the equivalent of having a personal nutritionist and a year’s gym sessions with unique exercises not found anywhere else. You can access Movement videos, guided Meditations, meal plans, food lists, and an ever-expanding anti-inflammatory cookbook with recipes from around the world, like Catalan Roasted Vegetables, Chicken Marbella, and Moroccan Burgers.
EBS is family-friendly and world-friendly. Our members are getting happier and healthier, changing their tastebuds and optimizing their microbiome. They are living a better life as the days and years go by.This is what Dr Sara Fernandez, MD, has to say…
“I am really impressed with the quality of your work and couldn’t agree more with your principles. Your ability to formulate a lifestyle strategy around improving health is outstanding.
EBS is an excellent professional platform sustained with thorough research and scientific information. You not only cover research for anti-inflammatory nutrition but for all medical conditions. This demonstrates how what we eat contributes to their regression or progression as chronic illness.”
Do take care. Your health is precious. Have a great day!
Yalda Alaoui is an expert Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London.
She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research into chronic inflammation and gut health.
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