By Patrick Zitt, DC, MS, DNM

Have you ever gone on a restrictive diet and lost 10lbs, 20lbs, or even more?? Were you surprised at how quickly the weight came back on?

This is such a common scenario that there is a well-known term for the endless cycle of losing weight and gaining it back: yo-yo dieting.

In fact, one study of obese participants showed that approximately 30-35% of lost weight was regained within 1 year and 50% of participants regained all lost weight by 5 years (1).

You may assume post diet weight gain is solely due to a loss of will power. Or binging after you "fall off the wagon" is just the result of missing your favorite treats after a long restriction.

And while the psychology of dieting may play, there is actually a physiological reason that contributes to the return of lost pounds: Ghrelin.

What Is Ghrelin?

Ghrelin is a growth hormone. Hormones are the body’s messengers. They are chemicals that travel through the blood stream...

By Dr. Patrick Zitt, DC, DNM, MS

Duration and quality of sleep is one of the most influential metrics of health. If you have found your way to this blog article, chances are you know you are not getting enough sleep and you are looking for a natural solution.

Read on to learn some interesting facts about herbs and their impact on your zzzz’s.

The Importance Of Sleep Quality

When we sleep, our body goes through a variety of processes that help us restore, rejuvenate, and prepare us for the day ahead. A lack of quality sleep can lead to a wide range of negative consequence.

In the short-term, poor sleep quality can lead to fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. It can also impact our immune system and influence blood sugar regulation.

In the long-term, chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to a range of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease.

Good sleep quality is also important to mental health. When we sleep, our...

By Patrick Zitt

April showers bring May…..ALLERGIES!?!?

Allergy season is a challenging time for more than 25% of adults in the US. The constant onslaught of sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, headache, and congestion can make daily life a struggle. Between late winter and early summer, with a peak in the spring, your immune system is working hard to fight off allergens such as pollen, dust, and mold spores, which can trigger allergic reactions.

The immune system is the body's natural defense system, and it plays a crucial role in protecting us against infections, diseases, and allergens. However, it can become overwhelmed and thus weakened during allergy season, making us more susceptible to illness and other health issues.

Therefore, it's important to take steps to support and protect your immune system during allergy season. Let’s explore some practical tips and strategies to help you better manage your allergies so you can enjoy the season...

By Dr. Patrick Zitt, DC, DNM, MS

America is experiencing a sleep deprivation epidemic.

On average, we are getting 1.5-2 hours less sleep than we did just a mere 50 years ago.

While the majority of health experts agree that adults should clock in 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night, as a society, we are far from that goal. A shocking one-third of Americans do not get even the bare minimum amount of sleep needed to maintain their health.

• 8% get less than 5 hours of sleep each night
• 23% get about 6 hours of sleep
• 5% get 7 hours of sleep (bare minimum, though many may do better with more)
• 7% get 8 hours of sleep
• 8% get 9 hours or more

What makes these statistics worse is that they are based on self-reported sleep times. Studies have shown that self-reported sleep is almost always overestimated, with the grossest overestimations made by those getting the least amount of sleep.

According to the CARDIA Sleep Study

• Those that slept an average of 7 hours over reported by...

By Dr. Patrick Zitt, DC, DNM, MS

Seed oils are a huge source of controversy in the food and nutrition world. Cheap and easily accessible, they no doubt provide a means to more affordable food. There are a handful of studies that support mainstream claims that these oils are okay to include in a balanced diet. However, there are piles of evidence demonstrating the negative health effects of these oils, and that should give us all pause when making smart consumer choices. 

What are seed oils?

Seed oils (also referred to as vegetable oils or industrial oils) are unsaturated oils made from crops such as soybean, corn, sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, cottonseed, rapeseed/canola, grapeseed, and rice bran.

Unlike coconuts or olives, these crops do not easily give up their oils. After the seeds are gathered, they require extensive processing before the desired result is achieved:

1. The seeds are first heated to extremely high temperatures, oxidizing* the oils...

By Dr. Patrick Zitt, DC, DNM, MS

There is a lot of contradictory information when it comes to nutrition and the food group most subject to this kind of confusion is fats and oils!

We’re here to clear it up.

What are oils and fats?

Macronutrients -fats, proteins, carbohydrates- are the main building blocks to the foods we eat. All three are essential to good health and energy and are required in relatively large amounts. Each gram of a micronutrient contains a specific number of calories (energy):

• Carbohydrates = 4 calories per gram
• Protein = 4 calories per gram
• Fat = 9 calories per gram

In some circles (we're looking at you, Keto), fats and oils are considered the holy grail of nutrition, encouraging up to 80% of daily calories from fat. Others preach that all fats and oils are health eroding, obesity inducing devils that should be limited as much as possible. The truth is a lot more nuanced than that!

The many benefits of dietary fat

Fat...

By Melissa Zitt

If there is one thing I have learned after years of avoiding gluten, dairy, refined sugar, and processed oils, it's that you really don't need any of those things to make something delicious.

This chocolate zucchini quick bread (or muffins) is everything you could want in a healthy indulgence:

• High protein
• Low(ish) carb
• Healthy fats
• Grain free
• Refined sugar free
• Hidden veggies
• Chocolate
• Quick assembly
• Easy cleanup
• Foolproof

I adapted this recipe from the Gluten Free Palate to include more veggies, protein, and gooey chocolatey goodness.

Great results every time.

Over the past few weeks I have made several batches and I discovered that you cannot mess this recipe up. I have added protein powder and left it out. I used a small zucchini and then a large one. I got distracted and left the loaf in the oven about 10 minutes too long. And even though I suppose there were slight differences between the batches, they each received their own rave...

By Dr. Patrick Zitt, DC, DNM, MS

How to apply this list without overwhelm: Start by choosing just one or two suggestions to follow today and going forward. After you have made it a routine part of your life, choose the next suggestion to apply.  

Focus on your strengths

No one is good at everything. There are brilliant minds who struggle with relationships. There are talented artists who cannot balance their checkbooks. We forgive our heroes for their shortcomings and so should forgive ourselves all the more.

Make it easy: Jot down a list of your strengths, from the abstract (“I’m a good listener”) to the tangible (“I make the best meatloaf”). Then, put energy into those things every day. You’ll get a confidence boost and those around you will benefit from you encouraging your best self.

Set realistic goals

Goal setting is very personal. Some have goals to get into law school while others have goals of putting on...

By Melissa Zitt

Yoga is having its time, and for good reason. This ancient practice of aligning mind and body helps foster focus, creativity, calm, strength, flexibility, awareness, and overall health.

Yoga boasts the same benefits for kids!

A growing body of research strongly suggests that yoga improves the following for kids:

• Strength
• Balance
• Aerobic fitness and endurance
• Focus
• Memory
• Sleep
• Behavior
• Anxiety
• Symptoms of ADHD
• Academic performance

Why yoga?

Yoga increases proprioception for kids and adults. Proprioception is your awareness of where your body is in space. A strong sense of proprioception is important in athletic activities, playing musical instruments, writing, etc. It also plays a large role in a child’s focus, speech, alertness, and self-regulation.

In adolescence, the mind and body develop at a rapid pace. When kids practice yoga during this developmentally pivotal time, it encourages an even deeper mind and body connection.

Tips for...

By Melissa Zitt

Get our "Perfect Smoothie Guide" +8 more delicious recipes! 

When the weather gets warmer, I find myself trading my usual breakfast of eggs and avocado for a beefed-up smoothie.

I love “smoothie season” for so many reasons:

• It is an easy way to balance nutrients, macros, and calories.
• They are super-fast to make and even faster to clean up.
• I can drink my breakfast while doing other elements in my morning routine.
• It is one less meal I have to cook.
• I can make extra for the kids to have as a snack later in the day.

When done right, a morning smoothie easily checks all the nutritional boxes:

Protein: This power macronutrient is made up of amino acids which are the building blocks for muscle, skin, bones, and blood. The average American consumes enough protein at dinner but gets very little in the morning, when it is arguably more useful. This is because protein intake is a precursor to the production of dopamine and...