Brianna Diorio is a Clinical Nutritionist, Holistic Lifestyle Coach, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, and self-proclaimed recovering super spaz. Brianna and I nerd out about nutrition, inflammation (why it’s not evil), stress (why it isn’t the worst thing in the world, even though social media would make you believe so) cortisol (which also isn’t the devil) and adrenal fatigue, the seriously under-appreciated lymphatic system and how it plays into inflammation and stress, and finally the big topic of today – why you binge around the holidays.
Also, welcome to episode 50 of the podcast!! To celebrate this milestone, we’re cutting through the nutrition bullshit and the bro science and talking about all my favorite topics – body acceptance and food liberation, mindset and binge eating around the holidays, and so much more.
THANK YOU to all the listeners who have been with me from the beginning, or even if you just found the podcast last week. You guys are the best and you truly are the reason I keep doing this! If you can, I would super appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star rating and review for the podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. It’s the best way to help others find the show so we can continue to spread the good food word and help cut through so much of the health and nutrition BS that’s out there!
In this episode, we discuss:
- Inflammation is not evil. Cholesterol is not the devil. And stress isn’t bad either! Why all these things are important and essential for healing.
- How inflammation is your body’s response to stress, and how it helps repair your tissues
- Good stress vs. bad stress in the body
- What happens when you exercise – inflammation is a part of the recovery process
- The Lymphatic System – what is it, what does it do?
- How supporting the lymphatic system is important to support the inflammatory processes
- Reasons why we binge around the holidays (both binge eating and binge exercising!)
- The myth of (some) self-love influencers on instagram
Timestamps:
[7:35] – Inflammation 101, Cortisol, and stress
[11:30] – NSAIDs and their role in the inflammatory process
[14:45] – Inflammation and Exercise
[17:20] – Inflammation weight, the different ways inflammation manifests in the body
[20:00] – Lymphatic System
[29:00] – The role of stress in the Lymphatic system
[31:00] – Why you Binge Eat around the Holidays
[42:00] – The gut-brain connection in binge eating and obsessive tendencies
[45:00] – The things you sacrifice in pursuit of external goals instead of focusing on internal goals
Brianna’s Recommended Reading:
Check out Brianna:
- Instagram: @briannadiorio
- Website & Services: https://www.briannadiorio.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briannamaxdiorio/
Show Notes & Definitions
[7:35] – Inflammation 101, Cortisol, and stress
- Adipose Tissue– Fatty tissue. Its main role is to cushion and insulate the body.
- Adrenaline – A hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, especially in conditions of stress, increasing rates of blood circulation, breathing, and carbohydrate metabolism and preparing muscles for exertion.
- Biochemical Processes– The processes that our bodies carry out in order to function properly. Chemical processes involving biomolecules.
- Capillaries– The smallest blood vessels in the body. They move blood between the Arterioles (arteries) and Venules (veins), which are other types of blood vessels.
- Cytokines– Substances that are secreted by certain cells in your immune system and influence other cells.
- Homeostasis– The bodies natural tendency to maintain a relatively table equilibrium between its independent physiological processes.
- Inflammation– Often after an injury or infection in the body, the bodies reaction is to become reddened, swollen or hot in order to heal the area. Inflammation can also be widespread throughout the body as a result from a variety of environmental and food related factors.
- Internal/External Stimulus– Whether inside or outside the human body, a stimulus is a thing or event that starts a specific functional reaction within an organ or tissue of the body.
- Macrophages – Small blood cells.
- Norepinephrine– A stress hormone.
- Secretory IGA levels – (Immunoglobulin A) Antibody playing a critical role in immunity. Levels will be elevated on blood tests if inflammation is present, usually with autoimmune disease like celiac or rheumatoid arthritis. It can also help doctors diagnose problems with the liver, kidneys, and immune system.
[11:30] – NSAIDs and their role in the inflammatory process
- COX 2– Enzymes that promote inflammation and pain when an injury occurs which help the injury to naturally heal. These are blocked by NSAIDS.
- Endogenously– To have an internal origin, for example when inflammation occurs it can be cause from an internal stimulus versus an event from outside the body.
- Leukotrienes– A family of fat mediators that play a key role in the inflammation process.
- Nonsteroidal– Not containing a steroid medication.
- NSAIDs– Nonsteroidal Anti – Inflammatory Drug, i.e.: Ibuprofen
- Prostaglandins – A group of lipids (fats) that are created at sites of tissue damage or infection that are involved in dealing with illness and injury. They create inflammation, pain and fever resulting from the injury, and control bodily processes like blood flow to the injured area, blood clots, and inflammation. Prostaglandins are also involved in regulating the contraction and relaxation of the muscles in the gut (called peristalsis) and airways. They are an essential part of the body’s natural healing process.
- Thromboxanes — a type of prostaglandin that stimulates the formation of a blood clot to try to heal a damaged blood vessel; it also causes the muscle in the blood vessel wall to contract (causing the blood vessel to narrow) to try to prevent blood loss.
- Tumor Necrosis Factor– Substance in the human body that causes inflammation.
[14:45] – Inflammation and Exercise
- Acute– Often used in injury descriptions, the term is used to describe an injury that is the result of a specific event.
- Autoimmunity– Describes a condition when the human body acts against its own immune responses often resulting in suppressed immune response.
- Mitigate– To make something less severe or have less of an impact.
- Neurochemistry– Chemistry of the brain, specifically neurotransmitters of the brain.
- Permeability– A material (can be within the human body) that allows materials such as liquids and gasses to pass through it.
[17:20] – Inflammation weight, the different ways inflammation manifests in the body
- Catecholamines– category of hormones produced by the adrenal glands.
- Cortisol– hormone released by the adrenal glands in response to stress.
[20:00] – the Lymphatic System
- Cupping– Chinese alternative healing therapy. Cups are placed on the body to create suction resulting in increased blood flow to promote healing.
- Estrogens– Steroid hormones that promote growth and maintenance in the female body.
31:00 – Why you Binge Eat around the Holidays
- Satiated– To feel satisfied after you have eaten. This can be macronutrient satiety (you have eaten enough food), micronutrient satiety (you have eaten nutrient-dense food to fulfill your body’s needs), or emotional/mental satiety (you have satisfied an emotional craving, but do not feel guilt, shame, or the need to restrict after).
42:00 – The gut-brain connection in binge eating and obsessive tendencies
- Dopamine– a neurotransmitter that send signals to other cells. Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin, and Endorphins are the quartet responsible for your happiness. It is responsible for the feelings of reward and pleasure, which is why it’s often considered the pleasure neurotransmitter.
45:00 – The things you sacrifice in pursuit of external goals instead of focusing on internal goals
- Intuitive Eating – Encourages food choices that are free of guilt while respects the pleasure of fullness and the pleasure of eating. (I have lots of podcasts on this topic – check the episode archives!)
You’ll love these episodes too!
48| Survive the Holidays vs. Enjoy the Holidays
49| The Shame Spiral and why you don’t have to love your body with Noelle Tarr
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