Author: Monique Gutierrez

Ever wonder why you feel hungry even when you just ate—or why certain foods seem to call your name? Or perhaps you are “Always tired, always hungry – but not sure why?”

It’s not just about willpower. Your gut and brain are in constant conversation, using hormones and nerves to regulate hunger, fullness, and digestion.

The Gut-Brain Connection and Appetite

The gut-brain axis is the communication highway between your gut and your brain. This system works in both directions, meaning your brain can affect how your gut functions—and your gut can send signals back to your brain that influence things like mood, mental clarity, and even brain health as you age. This connection is made possible through several systems working together, including the nervous system, hormones, immune responses, and the gut microbiome—the community of bacteria and microbes living in your digestive tract.

When the gut microbiome is out of balance, it can contribute to a wide range of issues—from mood disorders like anxiety and depression, to digestive problems such as bloating, IBS, and inflammation, as well as immune system dysfunction. One major way it affects mood is by influencing the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, sleep, and appetite. Gut bacteria help synthesize tryptophan, the amino acid that serves as a building block for serotonin, and can directly affect how much serotonin is available to the brain.

This same gut-brain (and hormone) network also plays a major role in regulating hunger and fullness. Feeling hungry or satisfied isn’t just about how much food is in your stomach—it’s the result of a finely tuned conversation between your digestive system, your brain, and the hormones that help keep your appetite and energy in balance.

Two key major hormones play a big role in your appetite:

• Ghrelin, known as the “hunger hormone,” is produced by the gut, and signals your brain when it’s time to eat.
• Leptin, often called the “fullness hormone,” is produced by fat tissue and tells your brain when you’ve had enough.
  • Other hormones, like PYY and GLP-1, also help promote satiety by slowing digestion and signaling that you’re full.

These hormones send messages to a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, which helps regulate your appetite and energy levels. When everything is working well, this system keeps your hunger, fullness, and energy in balance.

Here’s how it works:

• Ghrelin levels go up before meals, telling your brain you’re hungry.
• After you eat, ghrelin drops and leptin rises, signaling fullness.
• This back-and-forth helps your body maintain steady energy (what we call energy homeostasis).

When the balance between your hunger and fullness hormones—ghrelin and leptin—is disrupted, your body can start sending mixed signals about when to eat and when to stop. Factors like chronic stress, poor sleep, inflammation, gut imbalances (dysbiosis), and irregular eating patterns can all interfere with how these hormones communicate with your brain. As a result, you may experience constant cravings, overeating, or never feel truly satisfied after meals.

Over time, your body can also become less sensitive to these signals, a state known as hormone resistance. This makes it even harder to regulate appetite and energy, and can contribute to both excessive eating and, in some cases, loss of appetite, as seen in conditions like anorexia.

Bottom line:

• The gut-brain axis involves the gut microbe, brain (nervous system), and hormones.
• A lifestyle with stress, poor sleep irregular eating patterns, and gut microbiome imbalances (known as dysbiosis) affect these hormones which leads to appetite and mood fluctuations.

Cortisol, Stress & Energy Crashes

What is Cortisol

Cortisol, often referred to as the “stress hormone,” is produced in the adrenal cortex and regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis—a system that links your brain and adrenal glands. It follows a natural circadian rhythm, peaking in the morning to help you wake up and gradually declining throughout the day to support rest and recovery.

Cortisol plays several essential roles in the body, including:

• Helps your body respond to stress
• Keeps your blood sugar levels stable
• Supports your immune system and helps control inflammation

However, when cortisol levels stay elevated due to chronic stress—whether it’s from poor sleep, overworking, blood sugar imbalances, or emotional strain—it can disrupt your body’s natural rhythm.
Stress can come from many places: a toxic relationship, financial pressure, a demanding job, or the emotional toll of loss or trauma. No matter the source, your body responds the same way—by raising cortisol levels and keeping you locked in a stress response.

This disruption affects blood sugar balance, the gut microbiome, and insulin sensitivity, often leading to stronger cravings for high-sugar or high-fat foods, while also draining your mood, energy, and metabolism over time and leading to fat accumulation.

The good news? You can help rebalance cortisol by building in daily stress-relief habits like consistent sleep, balanced meals, deep breathing, walking outdoors, and even just taking intentional breaks throughout your day.

How cortisol affects appetite

Cortisol doesn’t just make you feel stressed—it also impacts your appetite and how your brain responds to food. When you’re stressed, cortisol triggers the breakdown of fats and carbohydrates to release energy. This surge in energy creates a craving for quick fuel, often leading to a desire for sugary or high-fat foods.

As we discussed earlier, the two main appetite hormones are ghrelin and leptin.

• Ghrelin increases: When cortisol levels stay high, it can raise ghrelin levels too. This makes you feel hungrier and more likely to crave food—especially sugary, salty, or high-fat options.
• Leptin resistance: Chronic stress can make your brain less responsive to leptin, the hormone that signals fullness. This means you may keep eating even when your body has had enough.
• Cravings and reward-seeking: High cortisol affects the parts of your brain that control reward and pleasure. When you’re stressed, these areas can become less active—especially in people who turn to food for comfort (often as sugary or high-fat foods) to help the brain feel better. This is especially strong in people with long-term stress or insulin resistance, where cortisol and insulin together make weight gain more likely.

The stress-hunger-fatigue loop

You wake up already feeling tired, grab Starbucks coffee and something sweet just to get going, skip meals or eat on the go, then crash mid-afternoon and reach for more snacks or another Starbucks coffee. By evening, you’re wired but exhausted, overeat at dinner or snack late, and struggle to sleep—starting the same cycle all over again the next day.

The stress–hunger–fatigue loop is a cycle where chronic stress (which we know can be caused from various reasons) throws off your hormones, messes with your appetite signals, and drains your energy. This leads to cravings, overeating, and constant fatigue—which only adds more stress and keeps the cycle going.

We’ve seen how elevated cortisol can throw off key appetite hormones like ghrelin and leptin—but it doesn’t stop there. Chronic cortisol exposure also interferes with insulin function, making it harder for your body to balance blood sugar. This can lead to more fat storage (especially around the belly) and frequent blood sugar swings that intensify hunger, cravings, and energy crashes.

Stress doesn’t just affect your appetite and mood—it also drains your energy. Here’s how:

• Metabolic Strain: Chronic stress raises cortisol, which increases your body’s energy demands and uses up important nutrients like B vitamins and magnesium—both essential for steady energy.
• Sleep Disruption: Stress leads to restless, poor-quality sleep, leaving you tired during the day. And since poor sleep raises cortisol, it becomes a vicious cycle of fatigue and stress.
• Post-Meal Energy Crashes: Craving high-sugar or high-fat foods for quick energy? They spike your blood sugar fast—but then cause a crash that leaves you even more tired and craving more food.

Signs Your Cortisol Rhythm Is Off

Cortisol follows a diurnal circadian rhythm, meaning its levels naturally rise and fall over a 24-hour period. It’s typically highest in the morning to help you wake up and get going, then slowly declines throughout the day, reaching its lowest point at night to support rest and recovery. Here are signs your cortisol rhythm may be off:

The Blood Sugar Roller Coaster

Remember, balanced blood sugar is key to avoiding energy crashes, constant cravings, and mood swings.

When we eat carbohydrates, our body breaks them down into glucose, a form of sugar that fuels energy production—especially in the brain, which relies heavily on glucose. But in order for glucose to actually enter our cells and be used for energy (ATP), we need insulin, a hormone that helps transport glucose from the bloodstream into the cells.

The problem? Most people’s dietary lifestyles are loaded with refined carbs and added sugars—like white bread, pasta, white rice, potatoes, pastries, and sugary drinks. These foods digest quickly, spike blood sugar, and have a high glycemic load.

Even more concerning is that many processed foods contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)—a highly processed form of sugar. Unlike natural glucose, HFCS bypasses the need for insulin to enter cells, which means your body doesn’t send proper signals to appetite-regulating hormones like leptin. That makes it easier to overeat without feeling full.

And instead of being used for energy, excess fructose from HFCS is often converted into cholesterol and triglycerides, which can contribute to fatty liver, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction.

Sugar wears many disguises—and when eaten too often, it sets off a vicious cycle of cravings, energy crashes, binge eating, and fat storage. Over time, frequent sugar spikes push your body to produce more and more insulin. Eventually, your cells stop responding properly, leading to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance doesn’t just affect blood sugar—it also ramps up hunger, inflammation, oxidative stress, and even mitochondrial damage (which limits your ability to produce energy).

But it doesn’t stop there. A diet high in sugar and refined carbs can:

• Promote weight gain, especially around the belly (visceral fat)
• Raise cortisol, your stress hormone
• Increase inflammation throughout the body
• Lower growth hormone and thyroid hormone levels, both key for metabolism and repair
• Disrupt sex hormone balance—increasing estrogen in men and testosterone in women

This hormonal chaos doesn’t just affect your waistline—it impacts your energy, mood, and long-term health.

Why balanced meals matter

When meals aren’t balanced, it can set off a cycle of blood sugar spikes, crashes, and cravings—all of which disrupt your energy, mood, and hormones. Here’s how it works:

• Spike: Eating meals high in refined carbs or sugar (like white bread, pastries, or soda) without enough protein, fiber, or healthy fats causes blood sugar to rise quickly. Your body responds by releasing a surge of insulin to bring sugar into your cells.
• Crash: That big insulin spike can drop your blood sugar too low—a state called reactive hypoglycemia. This can leave you feeling tired, cranky, shaky, or unable to focus.
• Cravings: When your blood sugar crashes, your brain sees it as an energy emergency. You start craving quick sugar fixes (like more sweets or carbs) to bring levels back up—starting the cycle all over again.
• Hormonal Disruption: These ups and downs also mess with other hormones like cortisol, your stress hormone. Irregular cortisol patterns (like being high at night or low in the morning) are linked to more cravings, poor sleep, and worse blood sugar control—especially when stress is ongoing.

To avoid this cycle, aim for foods with a low glycemic index/load—these don’t cause sharp blood sugar spikes (like refined carbs and sugary drinks) and help you stay energized, satisfied, and focused throughout the day.

Functional Nutrition Fixes

As a functional nutritionist, I see this all the time with my clients—low energy, mood swings, constant cravings, and never truly feeling full. The good news? You can start turning things around today. Here are simple, at-home steps to support your gut health and balance blood sugar, which play a key role in balancing cravings, lifting your mood, and boosting sustainable energy—naturally.

• Prioritize carbs with protein and healthy fats at breakfast to reduce spikes
• Balance every meal (protein + fat + fiber + slow carbs) and don’t skip meals – it increases cortisol and makes crashes worse
• Support your gut (fermented foods, prebiotic fiber, probiotics)
• Hydrate + manage caffeine to avoid adrenal overdrive
• Use lifestyle tools: stress reduction, circadian alignment (light, meal timing)
• Eat more carbs around movement, when your body is primed to use them. Pro tip: eat the majority of your carbs during the day rather than at night (before bed).

When to Dig Deeper

Many people feel anxious around food. They want to eat, but also fear weight gain. This creates a cycle of stress eating, shame, and cravings.

The truth is, your body needs to feel safe to digest and burn food well. That means eating in a calm environment, enjoying your meals, and listening to your body—not fighting it.

Loving your food and eating without fear might be the most underrated “metabolism booster” out there. Nourishment works best when it’s not paired with guilt.

I challenge you: try just one functional tip for the next 3–5 days—whether it’s a blood-sugar-friendly breakfast, a mindful meal, or a gut-supportive habit—and notice how your energy, cravings, and mood begin to shift.

But if you’ve already cleaned up your habits and you’re still feeling stuck with low energy, constant cravings, or stubborn fatigue, it might be time for functional testing.

At Tucson Wellness MD, we offer two comprehensive Longevity Lab Panels to give you a deep look at your current health—and every panel comes with a 1-hour review with one of our providers. We can also guide you toward more targeted testing, like GI maps, stool analysis, or even early cancer screenings, based on your needs. Schedule your lab appointment today!

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When people talk about “balancing blood sugar,” it can sound like something only diabetics need to worry about. But here’s the truth: if you’re dealing with low energy, brain fog, afternoon crashes, mood swings, or intense cravings—your blood sugar is likely involved.

As a functional nutritionist, I see it all the time: clients eating “healthy” but still struggling to feel focused, energized, and emotionally balanced throughout the day. Why? Because their glucose and insulin balance is off—and that impacts everything from your metabolism to your mental clarity.

First, What Is Blood Sugar Balance?

Blood sugar balance means keeping your blood glucose levels steady—not too high or too low. This balance is key for sustained energy and overall health.

Why Blood Sugar Balance is Important

Keeping your blood sugar levels steady is one of the most important things you can do for your overall health. Here’s why it matters:

• It fuels your body and brain. Glucose is your body’s main source of energy—especially for your brain. When levels are stable, you feel more energized, focused, and clear-headed.
• It helps prevent chronic disease. Frequent spikes and crashes in blood sugar can, over time, contribute to serious health issues like heart disease, kidney damage, and nerve problems. Let’s not forget about insulin resistance as well.
• It supports your mood and mental health. Since the brain needs glucose, blood sugar swings can affect how you feel mentally and emotionally. Stable levels are linked to better mood, less anxiety, and improved concentration.

Maintaining balanced blood sugar isn’t just about avoiding sugar—it’s about eating the right foods, at the right times, to keep your body and mind functioning at their best.

Here’s What Happens After You Eat

After you eat, your blood sugar (glucose) levels naturally rise. In response, your pancreas releases insulin, a hormone that helps move glucose into your cells to be used for energy. Any extra glucose gets stored in your liver as glycogen.

As your blood sugar starts to dip in the hours after eating, your liver steps in and releases some of its stored glucose to keep levels steady. This natural balance happens between meals and helps maintain your energy and focus throughout the day.

But when you eat more glucose than your body needs—and your liver and muscle glycogen stores are full—your body converts the excess into fat (including visceral fat) for long-term energy storage.

When you go without food for over 18 hours (fasting), your body uses up the stored glucose in your liver for energy. Once those stores run low, your body begins breaking down fat from fat cells. These fats travel to the liver, where they’re converted into ketones—an alternative fuel source your body can use when glucose isn’t available. This metabolic shift is known as ketosis, where fat becomes the preferred fuel source, due to lack of glucose.

Remember, that mastering metabolism requires ATP—the body’s energy currency— which is produced from glucose and powers many vital functions. This includes active transport across cell membranes, muscle contraction, hormone and cell membrane synthesis, nerve signal transmission, cell growth and division, and other essential physiological processes.

Organs Involved in Balancing Blood Sugar

After you eat, your GI tract breaks down and absorbs nutrients—mostly in the small intestine. From there, several organs work together to maintain glucose homeostasis, or stable blood sugar levels.

Pancreas

The pancreas plays a key role in blood sugar regulation. After a meal, it releases insulin to help lower blood glucose by moving sugar into your cells. When blood sugar is low—like between meals or during fasting such as sleeping—it releases glucagon, which signals the liver to release stored glucose.

In type 2 diabetes, either the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin, or the body becomes insulin resistant, meaning it doesn’t respond properly to insulin.

The function of the pancreas is also influenced by the nervous system, which helps regulate hormonal responses based on your body’s energy needs.

Liver

The liver (and muscles) stores glucose for later use as glycogen and, when needed, helps produce and release glucose through processes called gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis. These functions are also regulated by the nervous system. If the liver is damaged or not functioning properly, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels becomes much more difficult.

Kidneys

The kidneys act as the body’s filtration system—removing waste from the blood and returning clean blood to circulation. They also help regulate fluid balance, blood pressure, and bone health, and produce hormones needed to make red blood cells. An often-overlooked role: kidneys help clear insulin from the bloodstream, playing a key role in blood sugar regulation.

During stress or fasting, the kidneys can even produce glucose from non-carbohydrate sources (a process called gluconeogenesis) and use glucose for their own energy needs. When the kidneys aren’t functioning properly, both their filtration ability and glucose metabolism can be impaired, leading to insulin resistance.

The Brain and Nervous System

The hypothalamus and brainstem are key parts of the brain (and nervous system) that help regulate your blood sugar and energy levels. They constantly monitor how much glucose is in your blood and send signals to your body—like when you’re hungry or full.

Inside the hypothalamus, certain areas respond to hormones such as insulin, leptin, and ghrelin. These hormones come from your gut and fat tissue and tell your brain whether you need more energy (food) or if you’re satisfied. This system helps control your appetite and how your body uses energy.

But when these hormones get out of balance—or when your body stops responding to them properly, like with leptin or ghrelin—you may feel overly hungry or not hungry at all. This can lead to problems like overeating, low energy, poor blood sugar control, and even mental health issues like anxiety or mood swings.

This communication between your gut and brain is known as the gut-brain axis. It depends on hormones—like leptin and ghrelin—which bind to receptors in your brain and nervous system to help control hunger, metabolism, and overall energy balance.

Bottom Line

Too much glucose too quickly or frequently? Too much glucose—especially too quickly or too often—can cause a spike, then a crash, leaving you tired, jittery, or anxious. Once glycogen stores are full, your body stores the excess glucose as fat for long-term energy.
Too little? Your energy drops, your cravings spike, and your brain feels like it’s in a fog.

This rollercoaster is what leads to:

• Energy crashes after meals
• Mood swings or irritability (aka “hangry”)
• Sugar or carb cravings
• Trouble focusing
• Poor workout recovery or performance

Blood Sugar and the Brain: Why Focus & Mood Depend on Glucose Stability

Your brain is a high-energy organ that runs primarily on glucose. It needs about 120 grams of glucose per day just to function properly! When your blood sugar spikes and crashes, it doesn’t just affect your body—it affects your mood, memory, motivation, and focus too.

Keeping your blood sugar stable means more calm, steady energy and clearer thinking throughout the day.

And remember, when glucose runs low—like during long fasting or starvation—your body switches gears and starts making ketones, a backup fuel source that helps keep your brain and vital organs running strong.

So What Do You Eat (and When) to Balance Blood Sugar?

Your body’s ability to handle glucose changes throughout the day, following your circadian rhythm (your internal body clock). In the morning, your body is best at processing glucose—this is when your metabolism and insulin response are strongest. By the afternoon and evening, your ability to manage blood sugar (called glucose tolerance) starts to dip.

That’s because the pancreas, which releases insulin, works most efficiently earlier in the day. Later in the day, your fat cells become more sensitive to insulin, and your body shifts toward storing rather than using energy. This natural rhythm is why when you eat can be just as important as what you eat.

Here are practical tips to begin balancing your blood sugar.

Every meal should include:

• Protein (like eggs, fish, chicken, legumes): slows glucose absorption
• Healthy fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil): supports hormone balance and satiety
• Fiber-rich carbs (leafy greens, berries, sweet potato): stabilize energy
• Whole, unprocessed foods: reduce inflammation and insulin spikes

Timing Tips:

• Eat within 90 minutes of waking to anchor blood sugar early
• Don’t skip meals—it increases cortisol and makes crashes worse
• Pair carbs with protein/fat to reduce spikes
• Eat more carbs around movement, when your body is primed to use them. Pro tip: eat the majority of your carbs during the day rather than at night (before bed).

Functional Nutrition’s Goal: Blood Sugar Flexibility, Not Fear

This isn’t about cutting carbs or fearing food—it’s about eating in a way that supports your body’s natural energy rhythms. When your blood sugar stays steady, everything gets better: mood, cravings, focus, sleep, and even hormone balance.

Your body is designed to switch between using glucose and fat for energy—this is called metabolic flexibility, and it’s key for avoiding those energy crashes and keeping blood sugar stable.

Ready to Support your Metabolism and Feel More like Yourself?

Curious about your current health status? Ask us about our Longevity Lab Panels. At Tucson Wellness MD, we test—we don’t guess. Schedule your visit today! Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram this week for a full day of blood-sugar-balanced meals, smart snack swaps, carb timing strategies, and real-life tips to help you feel your best—without restriction.

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No matter your lifestyle, boosting your energy and supporting overall well-being comes down to a few simple essentials: staying well-hydrated (especially with electrolytes), nourishing your body with the right foods, and getting enough quality rest.

Mitochondria are like tiny power plants in your cells—they create the energy your body needs to function, as ATP, from the food you eat. But they do more than just make energy. They also help regulate calcium levels, support fat and iron processing, and play a role in cell cleanup and renewal. When mitochondria aren’t working properly, it can affect how your cells produce energy, stay balanced, and function overall. That’s why keeping your mitochondria healthy is so important for your overall health and preventing disease.

Mitochondrial health depends on your genes and your body’s metabolism—both of which can be heavily influenced by what you eat. A balanced dietary lifestyle can defend the body against certain types of diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and cardiovascular diseases. Today, we’re learning how to pick the right foods to boost energy and stay energized throughout the day.

Smart Carbs for Steady Energy

You’ve probably heard of the glycemic index (GI)—it’s a scale from 0 to 100 that measures how much a carbohydrate-containing food raises your blood sugar within about two hours after eating. Foods with a low GI (55 or less) cause a slower, smaller rise in blood sugar. Medium GI foods fall between 56–69, while high GI foods (70–100) cause a rapid spike in blood sugar.

Generally, complex carbohydrates—like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes—have a lower to medium glycemic index (excluding watermelon, pineapple, ripe bananas, and some dried fruits, which have a higher GI). These foods take longer to break down because they have longer molecular chains, which means they provide more steady, long-lasting energy. They’re also rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and because they digest more slowly, they cause a steadier rise in blood sugar and support optimal health. This also helps support healthy mitochondrial function by lowering oxidative stress and inflammation, which can otherwise harm the mitochondria number and size.

On the other hand, simple carbohydrates—like processed foods, sugary snacks, baked goods, and refined cereals—are broken down quickly by the body, causing a rapid spike in blood sugar followed by a quick drop, which can leave you feeling drained.

In addition to the glycemic index, there’s the glycemic load (GL), which gives a fuller picture. It considers not just how fast a food raises blood sugar (GI), but also how many digestible carbs it contains (excluding fiber). A GL of 10 or less is low, 11–19 is medium, and 20 or more is high.

Foods with a high glycemic load include things like potatoes, corn, and other starchy vegetables, candy bars and baked goods, white pasta, and refined cereals. Low glycemic load foods include oranges, apples, beans, carrots, peanuts, cashews, and bran cereals.

So next time you’re craving a snack but want to avoid the energy crash, reach for something like apple slices with peanut butter, a handful of mixed nuts, or a refreshing orange.

Protein and Fats for Long-lasting Energy

Fueling with fats

We’ve already explored the differences between saturated and unsaturated fats and how they impact your health. When it comes to supporting your mitochondria, unsaturated fats—especially omega-3s like EPA and DHA—are the most beneficial. You can find these healthy fats in fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel, as well as in certain nuts and seeds. Don’t forget—ALA, found in plant sources, can also be converted into EPA and DHA in the body.

As fat cells develop, their mitochondria become much more active. When mitochondria don’t work properly in fat cells, it can lead to problems like poor fat burning, imbalanced hormone release, and issues with blood sugar control. In brown fat cells, weaker mitochondria mean less heat production, which has been linked to weight gain, especially from high-fat lifestyles. This fat accumulation in the cells can cause insulin resistance to develop. This happens because cells need a healthy balance between making energy and managing stress from harmful byproducts like reactive oxygen species (ROS). Without that balance, things start to go off track.

Powerful Proteins

As we get older, our mitochondria naturally begin to slow down. This can lead to feeling more tired and noticing a drop in muscle strength. The good news is that with the right nutrition, especially high-quality protein, we can support mitochondrial function and help maintain our energy and muscle health. Protein-rich foods like chicken, fish, eggs, beans, and nuts provide the body with essential amino acids. These amino acids help produce L-carnitine, a compound that plays a key role in turning fat into fuel by transporting it into the mitochondria in the muscles, especially during aerobic exercise. By fueling your body with the right proteins, you’re not only supporting your muscles but also keeping your energy levels strong as you age.

Bringing It All Together: Nourish Your Energy

Supporting your mitochondria is one of the most powerful things you can do for your energy, metabolism, and overall health. By focusing on smart carbs, healthy fats, and high-quality proteins, you’re giving your body the tools it needs to thrive—cell by cell. Remember, small, intentional choices add up. Choosing whole foods that stabilize blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and fuel your mitochondria is a foundational part of living a functional, holistic lifestyle.

if you’re ready to dive deeper into your health and want a personalized plan to support your energy, metabolism, and long-term wellness—Tucson Wellness MD is here to support you every step of the way. Reach out to us today to schedule a consultation and learn how functional nutrition can help you feel your best—naturally.

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We explored the fascinating importance of maintaining a healthy gut microbiome and its profound impact on the gut-brain axis, which influences numerous aspects of both mental and physical health. This delicate balance is not only shaped by the foods we eat but also by a range of daily factors that can either support or disrupt this vital system. Understanding how the gut microbiome affects your overall well-being is the first step towards a healthier, more vibrant life!

With these four essential nutrients, you’ll be giving your digestive system the support it needs to thrive. Your gut will thank you for it! Including these nutrients in your diet can lead to improved digestion, enhanced nutrient absorption, and even a stronger immune system. For example, a healthy gut can help prevent inflammatory diseases, such as IBD, and IBS, other chronic diseases and improve overall vitality.

Fiber

Fiber is a type of non-digestible carbohydrate found in plant-based foods like fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and legumes. There are two types of fiber—soluble and insoluble—and both play an important role in keeping your body healthy. Soluble fiber, which dissolves in water, helps lower blood sugar and cholesterol. You’ll find it in foods like oats, nuts, beans, apples, and berries. Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water and helps keep things moving in your digestive system. It’s in foods like whole wheat, quinoa, brown rice, leafy greens, and fruits with edible skins like apples and pears. Check out my two favorite recipes here: Chia Seed Pudding and Overnight Oats, both completely customizable!

Fiber helps regulate blood sugar, removes cholesterol and toxins from the blood, improves bowel regularity, and can even aid in weight management. It’s a powerhouse nutrient that your body truly needs! Increasing your fiber intake can help you feel fuller for longer, making it easier to manage your weight and support overall health. For adults, the recommended daily intake is 25-30 grams for women and 30-38 grams for men. Furthermore, fiber has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics are non-digestible fibers that nourish (feed) the beneficial bacteria in your gut, helping to maintain a healthy microbiome. Foods rich in prebiotics include asparagus, garlic, onions, bananas, honey, barley, peas, beans, and even milk. Prebiotics boost immunity by increasing protective gut microorganisms and can support bone health by improving calcium absorption. By adding these foods to your diet, you’ll support the growth of healthy gut bacteria, boosting both your digestive health and overall well-being.

Probiotics

Probiotics are live bacteria that can alter the gut’s microbiome positively. Found in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kombucha, they help restore the balance of bacteria in the gut, which is crucial for optimal digestion and immune function. You can also find probiotics as dietary supplements. Consuming a variety of probiotic foods can enhance gut health and may alleviate gastrointestinal issues such as bloating and constipation. A well-functioning gut can contribute to better mental health, energy levels, and skin health. Probiotic-rich foods can help cultivate this diversity, leading to improved mental clarity and emotional health. Additionally, can help prevent and treat infection of the digestive tracts, allergies, and UTI’s to name a few.

TIP: Probiotics and prebiotics work best when consumed together! Eating yogurt (probiotic) with berries, bananas, or honey (prebiotic), Adding garlic (prebiotic) to sauerkraut (probiotic), and a mixed berries kefir (probiotic/prebiotics).

Post-biotics

Post-biotics are the results (by-products) of probiotics digesting prebiotics. They include short-chain fatty acids, enzymes, vitamins, and organic acids, all of which contribute to gut health. Research suggests that post-biotics can have anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-tumor effects. By promoting gut health, post-biotics can also support immune function and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Incorporating foods that enhance post-biotic production, such as fermented foods, can be beneficial for overall health.

The Role of Hydration in Gut Health

Staying well-hydrated is another crucial aspect of maintaining digestive health. Water helps to dissolve soluble fiber and keeps the digestive tract flowing smoothly, preventing constipation and discomfort. It’s recommended to drink half your body weight in ounces per day, but individual needs may vary based on activity level and climate. For instance, a person weighing 150 lbs would need to drink 75 oz of water a day. Herbal teas and water-rich fruits and vegetables can also contribute to hydration. Proper hydration supports the overall function of the digestive system and enhances nutrient absorption, ensuring your body receives the full benefits of the foods you consume.

Kickstart this Season with a Happier, Healthier Gut

At Tucson Wellness MD, we offer personalized supplementation support to help you meet your daily health needs, making it easier to stay on track no matter how busy life gets. We understand that balancing everything can be challenging, which is why we’re here to guide and support you every step of the way. Your wellness journey is important to us, and we’re committed to providing the resources and care you need to thrive, today and every day. Regular check-ups and consultations can help tailor a dietary and supplementation plan that will enhance your gut health and overall well-being, ensuring you stay healthy in body and mind.

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As we welcome the season of renewal, spring is the perfect time to refresh not only your home but also the home of your health—your gut health. Just like a seasonal clean-up, spring cleaning your gut involves adopting healthier habits that can help reset your digestive system, reduce bloating, and support better nutrient absorption. By making mindful choices in what you eat and how you care for your gut, you can give your body the fresh start it needs for the season ahead—and with these positive changes, you’ll feel lucky and energized this season, ready to take on anything!

Proper GI Health

Your gut health is super important—it’s connected to your immune system, brain, and digestion (1). Your GI tract isn’t just your stomach and intestines; it also includes your mouth, esophagus, liver, pancreas, and even your teeth, tongue, and other accessory organs. It’s responsible for breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, secreting water and enzymes, and getting rid of waste. When your gut is healthy, it helps with things like giving you energy, regulating hormones, supporting blood flow, keeping your nerves working properly, and even detoxifying your body.

Gut Microbiome

Maintaining proper gut health starts with a balanced gut microbiome—trillions of tiny bacteria living in your digestive system. These microbes are essential for your health, helping you absorb nutrients, produce beneficial compounds, and defend against harmful bacteria. Think of them as the unsung heroes of your digestive and immune systems, working behind the scenes to keep you feeling your best.

Proper gut bacteria are essential for creating vitamins, making amino acids, and breaking down bile. They also help process foods that our bodies can’t fully digest, like certain fibers and sugars. This process not only provides us with energy and nutrients but also fuels the good bacteria in our gut. In fact, the breakdown of carbohydrates in the colon is one of the main ways our body gets energy (2). They can affect things like gut barrier function, immune response, digestion, gut sensitivity, and the activity of the enteric nervous system (the “second brain” in your gut). But it doesn’t stop there—research also suggests that the gut microbiome may influence behaviors and brain functions. This includes how we respond to stress, emotional behaviors, pain, eating habits, and even brain chemistry.

An imbalance in the gut bacteria, known as dysbiosis, can lead to a range of health issues. It’s been linked to digestive problems like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as well as broader conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and allergies, showing just how crucial maintaining a healthy gut microbiome is for optimal well-being.

What disrupts gut microbiome?

Many factors can disrupt a healthy gut microbiome, influenced by your diet, lifestyle, and medications. Diets high in processed foods, fats, and sugars don’t provide the nutrients needed to keep the gut healthy and functioning properly. A lifestyle that includes excessive alcohol or drug/toxin intake, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and the use of antibiotics or other medications can temporarily alter the gut microbiome. However, without proper care and attention, the microbiome may struggle to restore its balance and integrity.

How can I support my gut microbiota?

Key factors that alter the gut microbiome include environmental influences, particularly the foods we eat—or more often, the foods we don’t eat. A diet rich in fiber, fermented foods, probiotics, and prebiotics is essential to maintaining a healthy gut. Postbiotics, the beneficial byproducts of probiotics, also play a key role in gut health by supporting inflammation reduction and the overall function of the gut barrier. Your digestive system plays a crucial role in overall wellness, influencing everything from energy levels to immunity.

The Gut-Brain Axis

The gut-brain axis is a powerful two-way communication system that links your gut and brain, affecting both physical and mental health. It involves the nervous system, HPA axis, and gut nerves. This link allows the brain to influence gut functions, including endocrine, humoral, metabolic, and immune activity, which means your gut can affect mood, cognition, and mental health (3,4).

When the gut microbiome is disrupted, it affects the gut-brain axis, which can influence many aspects of your health. Changes in the way the brain and gut communicate are believed to contribute to common gut issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other digestive disorders. More recently, these changes have also been connected to brain-related conditions such as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), Parkinson’s disease, mood disorders, and chronic pain. Essentially, what happens in your gut can affect how you feel, showing just how closely linked digestion and mental health really are.

You’re in Luck with Tucson Wellness MD

If you’re looking to restore gut harmony, check out our Longevity Program, where Phase 1 focuses on improving gut health. Not sure where to start? Our comprehensive Longevity Lab Panel measures a wide range of factors to give you a clear picture of your current health status, plus a one-hour lab review with a provider to discuss your results in depth. Tucson Wellness MD is here to support you in every aspect of your health, helping you achieve true longevity, schedule today to get started!

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Resources

1. Pham, V. T., a, Dold, S., a, Rehman, A., a, Bird, J. K., DSM Nutritional Products, Department of Surgery, Division of Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, & Bird Scientific Writing. (2021). Vitamins, the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal health in humans. In Nutrition Research (Vol. 95, pp. 35–53). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2021.09.001
2. Bull, M. J., & Plummer, N. T. (2014). Part 1: The Human Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease. Integrative medicine (Encinitas, Calif.), 13(6), 17–22.
3. Appleton, J., ND. (2018). The Gut-Brain Axis: Influence of microbiota on mood and mental health. In Integrative Medicine (Vols. 17–17, Issue 4, pp. 28–29).
4. Carabotti, M., Scirocco, A., Maselli, M. A., & Severi, C. (2015). The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems. Annals of gastroenterology, 28(2), 203–209.

With February being the month of love, it’s the perfect time to focus on nurturing your body for a healthy libido and a fulfilling sex life. By incorporating these into your diet, you’re not only boosting your health, but also setting the stage for a more vibrant and intimate connection. Love your body this February with these essential nutrients for a stronger, more passionate you!

I’m sharing three key nutrients that can naturally boost your libido and enhance your sex life:

Zinc

Zinc has been shown to help maintain healthy testosterone levels, which can support reducing inflammation and preserving penile endothelial function. As a result, it plays a role in promoting erectile function and overall male sexual health. Other studies have shown zinc supplementation significantly improves sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, satisfaction, vaginal moisture, and pain during intercourse, as well as the overall sexual function in postmenopausal women.

Food sources that contain zinc include:

• Oysters (rich in zinc)
• Seafood like shrimp, sardines, crab
• Beef
• Eggs and Dairy
• Nuts and Seeds like pumpkin seeds and peanuts

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is also a steroid vitamin that supports the production of steroid hormones, including sex hormones like testosterone. Since it plays a crucial role in sexual development, the body requires vitamin D for proper anatomical development, particularly during embryonic life. It is essential for the healthy growth and function of sexual organs, including the penis. Unfortunately, vitamin D deficiency is linked to higher cholesterol, diabetes, hypogonadism, and lower testosterone levels—factors that contribute to endothelial dysfunction and are major risk factors for erectile dysfunction.

Food sources that contain Vitamin D:

• Not a food sources, but natural source: the sun! only 30 minutes a day without sun screen or protective wear!
• Cod liver oil
• Fish: Salmon, Rainbow trout, Tilapia
• Egg
• Milk

Omega-3s

Omega-3s also support sexual health by boosting libido, sexual potency, and erection efficiency, while improving ejaculatory reflex stimulation, which is an important indicator of male sexual function. It’s all about balance for your body to function at its best!

Food sources that contain Omega-3 s:

• Fatty Fish: salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, tuna
• Nuts and Seeds: almonds, walnuts, pistachios, chia seeds, and flax seeds
• Others: avocado, krill oil, and cod liver oil

Reap the benefits of a great sex life with these top three nutrients—Zinc, Vitamin D, and Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s help balance hormones and improve circulation, Vitamin D supports hormone production, and Zinc is essential for healthy testosterone levels. These nutrients are key to boosting libido and sexual function, ensuring your body performs at its best for a fulfilling experience.

Optimize your Health at Tucson Wellness MD

Tucson Wellness MD is dedicated to optimizing your hormone health and overall well-being. With our expertise in regenerative medicine, including P-Shots for male sexual health, we focus on restoring balance and vitality to help you feel your best at any age. Our personalized approach addresses all aspects of health, from hormone therapy to advanced treatments that support your body’s natural healing and regeneration. Whether you’re looking to boost energy, improve sexual health, or enhance overall wellness, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Let Tucson Wellness MD be your partner in living a healthier, more vibrant life, schedule a consult today!