The Importance of Gut Bacteria

The research coming in on gut bacteria is startling and very important for your health. Gut bacteria is the good bacteria that helps properly digest your food, makes important B vitamins, and enables your body to absorb minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. It’s the same bacteria that gets killed off every time you take antibiotics. Here’s what new research has found:

1. People who are overweight or obese have different types of gut bacteria than people who are thin. If you want to lose weight, take a good probiotic supplement and don’t rely on yogurt. Why? Because it’s probiotic count isn’t reliable. Yogurt often has added sugar or sweeteners, which can kill off good bacteria. I suspect we’ll soon be able to purchase “thin gut bacteria” probiotic supplements.

2. For dental health, your mouth needs three specific probiotic strains. With a strong colony in your mouth, you can say goodbye to tooth decay, periodontal disease, and bad breath AND have naturally whiter teeth. No, I am not kidding. These strains are sold under the brand name, Evora, which is available at Walgreens. It comes as a good-tasting lozenge you let dissolve in your mouth after brushing your teeth. I know this because after I needed three rounds of ever stronger antibiotics last fall for what started out as a mere cold, I had to repopulate my entire body.

3. You are gifted your gut bacteria in utero by your mother. Also, the foods she favored when she was pregnant are the foods you prefer during your life. I inherited a sweet tooth.

4. People who have IBS – irritable bowel syndrome - find relief when they repopulate their gut bacteria with Bifidobacterium infantis. Now sold as Align brand at drugstores.

5. It isn’t easy to repopulate gut bacteria. Our modern processed food diets can easily kill off the good bacteria. Gut bacteria needs to be fed. Just like your garden soil needs fertilizer, gut bacteria needs nutrients to help them grow and colonize. They love a diet of vegetables and fruit. The name of nutrients that do this are called, fruit ogliosaccharides, which are as you now know, found in vegetables and fruit. Sorry, all those Cheetos and malted milk balls can destroy them.

6. Symptoms that can disappear with healthy gut bacteria are eczema, diahrrea, anxiety, depression, constipation, being overweight, candida overgrowth, and some forms of autoimmune disorders. Yes, this gut bacteria is important. Oh, and it can reduce or eliminate sugar cravings.

7. Mice who didn’t have a strong colony of gut bacteria (they’d been given mouse antibiotics) were way more susceptible to the influenza virus than mice with good gut bacteria.

8. Researchers were looking for the difference between babies who thrived in subsistence-level living in Malawi, and those who didn’t. The difference? The healthy babies had gut bacteria that enabled digestion and assimilation of minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. The babies who had the distended stomachs of starvation didn’t have healthy gut bacteria.

This research is just the start. Now reports are coming out every week. I’ll keep you updated. But for now, take a good probiotic with multiple strains once or twice a day. More often if you have been on antibiotics. I personally like the brand, PB8. because it’s affordable and works well. As well as Evora. Who doesn’t want whiter teeth and happier dental check ups?

The size of your fist

There are so many “recommended” ways to eat for weight loss. I’ve spoken with folks who eat no carb, or no meat, or just soy shakes. Some swear by “raw” foods, or by eating no fat. When you think of following a somewhat nutritionally unbalanced regime as all of these are, go back to the basics before you make your life more complicated.


The most important “basic” is to never overeat. Eat as much food as the size of your fist at each meal. Make a fist and look at the size of your fist. Eat that much food 3 times a day, perhaps 4. One of my coaching clients has an ideal weight of 250 pounds, which is twice what I weigh. And his fist is twice the size of my fist. This is not a coincidence.

Another way to not overeat requires mindfulness. Eat 0-5 on a hunger scale. The scale ranges from 0 to 10. Zero is empty, 5 is comfortable, 7 is full, and 10 is stuffed. You’ll need mindfulness to pay attention to your stomach’s hunger numbers before, during, and after eating. It’s a very elegant and certain system and one I’ve used for almost 30 years. Mindfulness offers other advantages. You’ll find yourself eating the most appealing foods, slowing down to savor every bite, enjoying better digestion, and probably sleeping better.

The best way to follow either one of these plans is to keep a food diary and record when, what, and how much you eat. Also record beginning and ending hunger numbers so you can start the process of eating mindfully.

And as to unbalanced diets, they may seem glamorous and exotic at first, but may not have a glamorous ending if your eating is out of balance for years. You could encounter low energy, hormonal imbalances, and emotional challenges. So eat balanced – meaning high quality protein, good fats, and vegetables/ fruit - as best you can.

And if you really want to lose weight, eat 0-5 and only eat foods that you prepare from scratch. That means no processed foods. I do this often and as much as possible, but not 100%, otherwise, I wouldn’t be writing this blog to you, I’d be in the kitchen wearing an apron.

All the best,

About that Apple

When told by a physician/nutritionist years ago that I had to give up fruit on his "healthy" diet, I rebelled. "You mean one apple a day could be harmful to me? What's wrong with an apple?" When confronted he backed down and agreed that one apple a day would be OK. Huh? I love apples. Any kind of apples. They seem to be a perfect food, just like an egg is a perfect food.

And now Weight Watchers has changed their diet recommendations to account for the glycemic index. Finally. I mean, you know that the glycemic index has hit the big time if the bastion of weight loss changes up all their point counts. Now 100 calories of starchy and sugary-foods has more points than 100 calories of fruit and/or vegetables. In fact, on their program you can eat basically lots of produce. And you'll still lose weight.

But if you choose this path, the fruit/vegetables can't be juiced or made into a shake. Eat them raw or lightly cooked. They offer natural antioxidants, high fiber, natural sweetness. By their very nature, the amount you can eat is self limiting. I mean, ever try overeating apples? It's almost impossible. Those vegetables and fruit have a self-limiting quality.

So, go ahead. Eat well. Eat that apple, pear, or watermelon. They were designed to be enjoyed.

why animals are gaining weight, too

If you’re even thinking of losing weight this year, you need to read this. Based on very recent research, the old “formula” of calories in vs. calories burned  - once again - doesn’t work.

Here’s why: Researchers noticed that animals are growing larger – both wild animals, domesticated animals (pets), and laboratory animals. With certainty the researchers knew that the animals weren’t eating too many doughnuts, and they certainly weren’t guilty of missing their exercise sessions. But they were sure getting larger than ever before. The researchers were stumped. Was there something in the environment that was causing this? Could it be air pollution, toxic chemicals, or something else? Another possibility was light pollution. The animals daily circadian rhythms could be being disrupted by the amount of light they were exposed to at night – when they were sleeping.

Another set of researchers did a rather simple experiment. One group of lab animals slept with all lights out and another group slept with “light” pollution. Guess who gained weight? Right, the ones who experienced “light” pollution. The details aren’t yet available on what body systems react to sleeping at night with a room with some light. But this early research offers clues for your weight management.

Make sure that you’re not gaining weight because you sleep with too much light. Get at least 8 hours of sleep in total darkness. Even the light from a street lamp may be too much, let alone the light from all sorts of media – television, alarm clocks, laptop screens, and more. Even an innocent night-light could be disrupting your weight.

At our house, I think we do pretty well but probably not well enough. I’m planning to purchase heavier window coverings to block the street-lamp lights. What can you do to eliminate light during your sleeping hours?

Happy New Year,

How to eat so much candy

Are you receiving as many gifts of food this Holiday season as we are? Boxes of really fine candy, plates filled to overflowing with cookies, homemade caramels, and flavored popcorn. My husband can mostly ignore them. Those treats don’t talk to him. But they sure do talk to me. In fact they shout every time I enter the kitchen. Well, actually, I can even hear them from up here in my office.

I try to eat mostly low-glycemic and do a good job most of the year until those talking gifts start arriving.

I think of possible solutions: toss them. Which I can’t do because I so appreciate the thoughtfulness of the giver and after all, I love those gifts. Store them and eat a piece a day until they’re gone. That way, I’d have delicious treats well into June.

My brain gets illogical as I contemplate the truffles, unique chocolate bars, and sugar cookies. I quickly – way too quickly - decide to not just eat one piece a day, but rather one piece with each meal. That’s only three per day. The more I think, the more nutty my thoughts become. And I need to tell you the next thought is totally nuts: eat them all in a couple sittings and then those treats won’t keep calling out to me. The ongoing chatter would be gone and I’ll be free once again to follow my low-glycemic eating regime.

Besides, I have more energy when I eat low-glycemic, I feel super, and am more productive.

The thoughts go on and on. I still haven’t created a really good plan. Until the time I do, I think a piece or two a day eaten with a meal is the sanest approach. That way, I can have my candy, and eat some, too. My Christmas presents will last for months but won’t adhere to my hips or sit as residents along my waistline.

Many thanks to all my friends for the gifts of treats and sweets. I appreciate each and every one of you and your thoughtfulness.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Lucy Beale, author
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss Version 2
The Complete Idiot's Guide Glycemic Index Cookbook
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Well on a Budget
www.Lucybeale.com, http://lucybeale-weight-loss.blogspot.com/
801-501-8240

Eating Potatoes and the Glycemic Index

Yes, potatoes are high glycemic.  A couple varieties, such as new potatoes may be medium, but for the most part, count on potatoes being in the high range. Does this mean that eating potatoes is bad for your blood sugar and weight control? Sometimes yes, and sometimes no, based on how you eat them.

If you eat potatoes loaded with butter, sour cream, and real bacon bits, the effective GI value is lower. The same holds true if you eat scalloped potatoes. That's because the addition of fat slows the digestion of carbohydrates in your stomach. The slower a carbohydrate is digested, the lower the GI value. Eating potatoes loaded with fat gives you another health concern - eating too much saturated fat. If you load the baked potato with non-fat versions of butter, sour cream, and bacon bits, you won't lower the glycemic index value.  So if you are one of the lucky folks who can eat saturated fat - meaning you don't have high cholesterol, have a super healthy ratio of HDL and LDL, and are at your ideal weight, then go ahead and load up your potato. Just be sure you're not at risk for developing insulin resistance from eating too much fat.

Another way to make your potatoes low glycemic is to prepare potato salad with a vinegar and oil dressing. Add some mustard and any other acid or sour tasting condiment, such as dill pickles, capers, or marinated vegetables. Adding acidic foods to high-glycemic foods lowers the effective GI value because it slows stomach emptying. If you eat a meal with a salad dressing that contains 3 teaspoons of vinegar per serving, you'll lower the effective GI value of the meal by 30 percent.

A surprise feature of potatoes is that baked sweet potatoes are low glycemic. That's right. They weigh in at a low 46 glycemic index value. They aren't actually a variety of potato, but rather a yam. Serve them baked, or roasted with olive oil and rosemary or a seasoning of your choice. They taste great as chili fries. You'll enjoy their natural sweet taste, too. Be a bit careful with sweet potatoes. If you serve a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows and brown sugar for Thanksgiving, you may need to consider it high-glycemic on the order of candy.

Using the above suggestions, you may be able to enjoy potatoes in moderation and meet your health and weight loss goals. You can find some potato recipes and suggestions in my books, The Complete Idiot's Guide Glycemic Index Cookbook and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss.

The Perfect Imperfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

I wanted to find the perfect 10 recipe for a low-glycemic chocolate chip cookie. This sounds like an oxymoron, but I thought I could figure this out. So I started modifying my mother’s favorite recipe. I had to take out the Crisco, most of the sugar, and most of the white flour. Then replace them with healthier choices. Plus, I added garbanzo bean flour for more nutritional value.

We were having dinner guests that evening, so I prepared two different recipes – a low-glycemic brownie and the chocolate chip cookies. My plan was to have my guests do a taste test.

I mixed up a batch, had the oven set to 375 degrees and started baking. Luckily I now line my cookie sheets with parchment paper or I would have had more of a mess. When the baking time was complete per the recipe, I opened the oven to the biggest baking disaster I’ve ever had.

Now let me tell you, when I was 16 years old, I was a junior winner for Colorado to the Pillsbury Bake-Off with a recipe I created from scratch. I definitely have put in my Gladwellian 10,000 hours of baking. (per Malcolm Gladwell author of The Outliers.)

The test batch of cookies were runny, flat, and browning way too much. They had spread into each other so I had sheets of flat cookies landscaped only by the small mounds of chocolate chips and nuts. And they were still running. Then I noticed that someone somehow had turned the oven off. I turned it back on to 375 degrees and waited five to ten minutes, checking with dread every minute or so through the oven glass window. Then I couldn’t take it any longer.

Out came the cookies. They looked awful. The only way I could get them off the parchment was to break them in pieces. Just before I threw them in the trash, I thought I should at least taste them. I did. And I kept tasting. They were utterly delicious. The crispy part tasted like a buttery toffee. The nuts and chocolate chips were like taste and texture treats. So…

I served them anyway. All eight of us at the dinner table ate them and kept on eating. Even as we played the fantastically funny game, “Telestrations.” (You will love it, too.) At the end of the evening, my guests took home doggie bags of broken shards of cookies.

Now here’s what’s really weird. Just a couple weeks ago we were in Madrid at the popular evening spot, Mercado. And they were selling a cookie that looked exactly like my cookies. They didn’t taste as divine, but I wanted to show you the picture so you know what to expect when you bake them.

I’m baking them again on Thursday to take to an Art Gallery opening for the Utah Watercolor Society. And if the guests can overlook the weird appearance of the cookies, they’ll be standing by the dish all evening. I want to share the recipe with you: Chocolate Chip Lace Cookies, Yield: 36 cookies

Each serving has: 108 Calories 2g Protein 10g Carbohydrates 1g Fiber 7g Fat 3g Saturated Fat Glycemic index: low Glycemic load: 3

[2/3] cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup almond flour
2 TB. corn starch
2 TB. garbanzo bean flour
[1/2] tsp. salt
1 cup chocolate chips
[1/2] cup walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Fold in almond flour, corn starch, garbanzo bean flour, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
3. Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheets, leaving plenty of room for cookies to spread. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until browned and cooked throughout. Enjoy.

Have a terrific Halloween,

Lucy Beale, author The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss Version 2, The Complete Idiot's Guide Glycemic Index Cookbook, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Well on a Budget

www.Lucybeale.com, http://lucybeale-weight-loss.blogspot.com/