Cortisol

Today I want to tell you about CAS Registry Number: 50-23-7, also known as cortisol.  I first started thinking about cortisol in 2011, but I didn't follow up on it then.  There seems to be a link between cortisol, stress, metabolism, eating behavior, obesity, circadian rhythms, and wellness (feelings of well being) or lack thereof (depression).

In my research this morning, there were some ties between cortisol and anxiety, which I have written about previously.

This blog was prompted by the recent article in Psychology Today which suggested that waiting 20 minutes when you feel a moment of panic is long enough for your body to excrete cortisol via your urine so you will cease to feel the "fight-or-flight" response.

This post gave me a pause to think about how our own minds create problems that our own minds can solve if we just give ourselves a minute to breathe and let go.  Some great illustrations about self-care can be found here.  Another great set of ideas is in the graphic posted in this blog (below).  There are some other great pictures here, especially the series about "feeling overwhelmed."

The infographic posted above actually has a firm foundation in the scientific literature.  Many studies suggest that people turn to calorie-dense foods (like ice cream) when faced with a stressful life event.  Acutally, I'm giving a talk next month on the science of ice cream, and I have to get cracking on that outreach project.

Being that it's the 100th Anniversary of X-ray Crystallography, I wanted to also show the peptide called "1AX8," also known as leptin.  It seems that lepin has a lot to do with metabolic control.  Leptin is secreted by adipose tissue.  It is part of the mechanism to maintain a particular body weight.  Individuals who are obese are said to be leptin-insensitive.  Leptin produces feelings of satiety (satisfaction after eating) in normal individuals.  Without crystallography, we wouldn't have the understanding of protein, peptide, and small molecule structures to create models for understanding the energetic considerations in ligand-target interactions.  Although aptamer generation is carried out via a combinatorial approach, maybe someday we will be able to approach the creation of biological drugs from a purely structural understanding.

At this point, we can chemically prepare analogues for small molecules like cortisol, but leptin and leptin-mimics are probably classified as biologic medical products, meaning that they must be made by a living organism.  I don't know whether aptamers are classified as biologics or if they are considered purely synthetic ligands.  I'm sure peptoids are not considered biologics since they are non-native structures.

I don't know if we understand the equilibria involved in cortisol and leptin in vivo well enough yet to interfere with the body's natural biorhythms.  Much of the published work is based on the phenotpyes associated with human diseases (Cushing's syndrome is a result of prolonged exposure to high levels of cortisol) or animal models of genetic mutation (a new 'fat gene' has been reported, IRX3).  I have written about genetic factors linked to obesity elsewhere.  I wonder if eventually we will become a race of 'perfect humans' via biologics which target all genetic mistakes.  Probably not since we're ~15 years away from a total collapse of our civilization, according to NASA-funded research that points to our unsustainable resource exploitation and increasingly unequal wealth distribution as factors leading to our demise.

In other news, we've been biking like crazy.  I have also been going to Zumba 2x per week.  I've noticed a pain in my ankle/foot but more muscle tone in my arms and better posture.  We're planning to ride from Ventura to Santa Barbara and back (60 miles) so wish me luck on that adventure.  I think the music and group riding are lowering my cortisol levels and the shedding of body fat is lowering my leptin levels.  I also hope my immune system is thriving, I've been doing more singing (while riding my bike) and feeling more positive.

References: 

Torres, S. J.; Nowson, C. A. "Relationship between stress, eating behavior, and obesity" Nutrition (2007) 23, 887-894.

Herbert, J. "Cortisol and depression: three questions for psychiatry" Psychological Medicine (2013) 43, 449-469.

Parrott, A. C. "Human psychobiology of MDMA or 'Ecstasy': an overview of 25 years of empirical research" Human Psychopharmacology (2013) 28, 289-307.

Chanda M. L.; Levitin, D. J. "The neurochemistry of music" Trends in cognitive sciences (2013), 17, 179-193.

Kandasamy, K; et al. "Cortisol shifts financial risk preferences" Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2014) 111, 3608-3613.

Neff, K. "The Physiology of Self-Compassion" The Power of Self-Compassion via Psychology Today (2012) http://bit.ly/1r6Ygm6

Breuning, L. G. "Awareness of Death Makes Us Human" Your Neurochemical Self via Psychology Today (2014) http://bit.ly/1euVIJ0

bike-related news

There are some bike happenings coming up!  The days are getting longer and my legs are getting stronger!

First I have to give a SHOUT OUT to the next CicLAvia which is April 6th From 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., along Iconic Wilshire Boulevard.  We might get a group together and ride from Glendale.  Cost: FREE.

Second, the Amgen Tour de California is rolling through SoCal. Stage 6 - Santa Clarita to Mountain High Friday, May 16, 2014.  Riders will roll out of Santa Clarita at 11:35am and bike 94.4 mi to finish at Mt. Baldy.  Elev Gain: 11,700ft.  That's a Friday and I might see the riders somewhere along that course.  Stage 7 (May 17) starts at 11:40 am again from Santa Clarita finishing with laps around Pasadena.  It will be great to ride over there and watch some real professionals.  This is a Saturday and is FREE for spectators.



Third, want to discuss the Jewel City Fun & Fitness Ride.  Happening May 18, 2014 in Glendale, CA http://www.glendalerotarynoon.org  This should be a great LOCAL community event.  I've never done it before but I found it on active.com.  I will look into this as a way to learn new routes and connect with other people here in Glendale that care about bicycle issues.  Cost: $15-40. 

I read in the News-Press (Saturday-Sunday March, 8-9) that about $138,000 is slated to pay for improvements in Glendale to cover markings and signage along segments including Broadway between San Fernando Road and the eastern city limits.  Glendale's bicycle plan includes 100 miles of bike lanes, roughly five times that which currently exists.  About $2 million has been spent since 2004 on bike lanes, bike racks, and street improvements near schools.  Thank you City Council!  Keep approving bike projects, please.

Lastly, I wanted to share this awesome "Mini Medical School for the Public" video I saw on YouTube. Registered dietitian Heather Schwartz Garza discusses advice for cyclists (both amateur and competitive) which really helped us understand why we got headaches after our most recent bike ride to Hollywood (due to dehydration most likely).  We learned that if you ride for longer than 1 hour, you must pay careful attention to your nutritional needs to avoid feeling crabby for 2-3 days afterwards.

#farmersmarketflow

Nopaltilla Homestyle Cactus Tortilla Chips are the best thing since sliced bread.  I am a total push-over for tortilla chips and it's a classic sabotage for any diet.  Some chips are overly salted and loaded with carbs.  I found these chips at the Burbank Farmer's Market.  The first day I binged on them, I suffered some dear consequences.  Now when I eat them in moderation, they are a perfect gentile laxative.

You might say, eew, but health gurus such as Dr. Oz don't shy away from talking about poop.

How are "diet and weight loss secrets" supposed to help other people if we keep them to ourselves?  I'm not saying everything on the Dr. Oz show is the honest truth.  The hype about Garcinia cambogia (a.k.a. Garcinia gummi-gutta) for example didn't live up in a clinical trial.

Garcinia gummi-gutta is a fad diet trick

I found the Nopaltilla chips to be such a god-send that I couldn't help writing about it here.  We've been eating a lot of fast food lately.  I've been out of the habit of cooking and into the habit of letting other people cook for me.  This has not been good for my weight.  The training we did over the Winter Break seems to have been counterbalanced by my disordered eating.  I have been skipping lunch.

Death Valley was such a great detox for me.  When I got back, I didn't crave sugar or soda.  Now I'm back to drinking at least 2 x 20 oz coffee in the morning and 32 oz diet soda in the afternoon.  Sheesh.  But I can say that after I eat a spinach salad or a couple (no more than 10) Nopaltilla chips, I feel green and great!

We're planning to run in the Glendale Downtown Dash (March 30th) which is a 5k run.  I'm REALLY looking forward to that.  We're also planning to run the Corona del Mar Scenic 5k (June 7).  I know it's a long way off, but it gives me that motivation that I need to keep training.  It's no fun being a runner when your nutrition is out of whack or you haven't pooped in 5 days.  Just saying.

Based on a quick read about Nopal (prickly pear cactus, a.k.a. Opuntia ficus-indica), it provides an ample supply of Vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, and manganese.  I love eating things rather than taking vitamins in pill form.  Not just because I love eating, but because I have a feeling that minerals from foods are already in the form we have evolved to extract them from and it's not so long (in evolutionary time) that we have been taking minerals in pill (capsule) form.

I'm sure there's more to learn about both these plants (Garcinia cambogia and Opuntia ficus-indica) especially in the way of organic acids, amino acids, sugars, minerals, and dietary fiber.  According to folk medicine, dietary Nopal may affect the glycemic index and be useful in diabetes management.  I have noticed this in my own body and I just wanted to post about it since it seems to be working for me.

In other news, I got a 21 class package with Bella Fitness and I am now doing Zumba among other people right in Downtown Glendale.  No more trying to get fit in the 372 sq. ft. house we are renting via a YouTube Playlist.  I am loving the atmosphere of working out with other people.  Not so much loving the giant mirrors but I'm getting used to it.  Love the clapping and shouting "Hey!" together.  Love the heart-pumping, ear-drum thumping, world music.  It reminds me of how multicultural Glendale is and I love getting Jiggy.  In my #adidas.  

And I have no idea what #farmersmarketflow means, I just know other people use it.  And more random stuff about hashtags here.  

When you are a real nerd, you make flowers out of twitter conversations.  Jealous?  Make your own by following the instructions here.