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Sun, Hormones, and Fat

Sun: Catch some sun while you can. Your body produces Vitamin D when exposed to mid-day sun for up to 40 minutes (depending on your sensitivity) between 11 AM and 1 PM -- but only in the summer months if you live above 35 degrees latitude (LA, CA and Charlotte, NC). Always protect sensitive areas like your face and the back of your hands with Ecolani products. They are so safe for you and for the environment that you can eat them. Plus they decrease wrinkles while preventing basal cell skin cancer. I carry Ecolani products in my office for your convenience.

Hormones: Alert for women (and men) using hormone creams. At the hormone conference I attended Labor Day weekend, I learned that hormone creams and gels applied to the abdomen may be absorbed into your liver which makes them less effective and causes your liver to work harder than it should. Best to apply those creams from the breast level up including the inside, but not the outside, of your arms.

Fat: For those having trouble maintaining a healthy weight: Insulin levels cause fat storage not fat burning. Insulin is secreted in response to high carbohydrate foods including sugar, all alcohol, and refined flour products (e.g. bread, pasta, white rice, muffins, cookies, etc.). Glucagon on the other hand causes fat burning and muscle building. Glucagon is secreted in response to protein in a meal. To increase fat burning and decrease fat storage, eat protein the size and thickness of your palm with every meal including breakfast. Fill the rest of your plate with high water content veggies such as lettuce, broccoli, kale, collards, green beans, cauliflower, summer squash, etc. That type of meal creates the most favorable balance for blood sugar regulation and fat burning.