Data-Driven Wellness by Lizzie Ayoub

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Data-Driven Wellness by Lizzie Ayoub

Duke MBA / Nutrition School Grad / Bestselling Author. Detangling the wellness world with data.

16/10/2023

A research report published last month showed that when we are in periods of heightened stress, our brain actually releases its own own cannabinoid molecules to calm us down. 🤯

This new research highlights one of the (IMO) most important concepts of health and wellness: our bodies are smart! There are so many mechanisms in place to bring us back to homeostasis, but with disrupted circadian rhythms, poor diets, leaky gut, and associated autoimmune conditions, we’ve become too out of whack to tune in. This is your reminder that your body should be working for you, not against you. If not, you should try to get to the root cause.

mental health brain health

16/09/2023

When you breathe through your nose, you trigger your diaphragm's engagement and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, initiating the “rest and digest”response. This counters the “fight or flight” mode, fostering a profound state of relaxation by reducing cortisol levels and enhancing heart rate variability.

This is especially important at night when our bodies are resetting during sleep. If you have trouble breathing through your nose, try nasal strips or nasal dilators (like ) to open the nasal passage. Happy breathing! 😌

14/09/2023

Evidence, on a chemical level, indicates that exposure to dogs can reduce your cortisol (stress hormone) levels.

A study (PMID: 16050629) found participants' cortisol levels decreased after interacting with a dog and suggests that a stress reduction can occur after only 5 minutes of pup interaction! 🐶🤍

12/09/2023

Chocolate cravings are real, especially during that time of the month. A randomized controlled trial showed that just 15 mins of walking reduced chocolate cravings, and this was true across BMI levels.

This is not to say chocolate is bad; in fact, I eat dark chocolate almost daily for dessert. However, moderation can become jeopardized when the cravings hit. Try a 15 min walk next time you can’t put down the ;)

07/08/2023

This might be controversial, but sometimes I eat chicken for breakfast. And sometimes it’s from . Is this perfect? No. But does it get me 25g of protein, which helps keep my hormones, muscles, blood sugar, and energy in check? Yes. And to me, that’s wellness.

A big criticism of the wellness world, and rightly so, is that it’s expensive and elite. I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be. There are things you can do to optimize your wellness that are both effective and resource-efficient 💥

06/08/2023

It’s not in your head: there’s a physiological reason you feel more anxious after a poor night of sleep! Scroll to see the brain scans that prove it ➡️

I’m definitely not the first person to tell you sleep is important - we know that. But in an age of heightened anxiety and mental health challenges, I want to bring awareness to how important sleep is for anxiety.

These findings are yet another amplification of the idea that our body is connected! Mental health affects physical health affects mental health affects physical health…

Share this with someone who’s been anxious as a nudge to prioritize SLEEP this week!

anxious mind hack mattress Casper leesa Saatva

03/08/2023

If you saw my last post about green tea and want some data-driven reccos, here you go! For the past five years, I’ve subscribed to , a service that tests and rates the efficacy, purity, and claims of products. It’s one of my go-to sources when looking for a new product.

Here are the green teas they tested with the highest antioxidant levels. You can shop these directly on my LTK page: https://liketk.it/4747I

30/07/2023

If you find yourself “always hungry”, try eating a protein-rich breakfast. Research shows that eating protein at your first meal is a helpful hack to maintaining satiety and reducing appetite throughout the day.

Personally, I don’t classify foods as “breakfast foods.” I’ll eat salmon for breakfast or have a grass-fed beef jerky stick on-the-go. And when I do this, I notice a tremendous difference in energy levels and satiety throughout the day. Granola is great, but it’s usually my dessert, not my breakfast :)

03/07/2023

Baby food! A lot of these newer brands actually taste like smoothies. This is also a great tactic if you have digestive upset and want to get in some greens but can’t handle a full plate of roughage 🥬

22/06/2023

It’s been a little quiet over here and I wanted to share why: two weeks ago, I had an abdominal laparoscopy in an effort to identify the source of lower belly pain that I’ve been having for years. One potential hypothesis was endometriosis, which turned out to be negative 🙏🏻🙏🏻, but they found and removed two pelvic adhesions 🙌🏻 that they believe were caused by digestive issues.

I share this not for sympathy (I’m all good!) but as a reminder to everyone that sometimes chronic illnesses are invisible. You never know what someone is going through or why they are making certain decisions. Through this journey I’ve learned how important it is to extend grace to people and be kind. Assume the best. Sending love to all those who struggle with invisible conditions and chronic pain; it can be so frustrating 🤍

22/06/2023

Do you feel more anxious, reactive, or moody after a poor night of sleep? Sure, you're probably tired, but turns out there's more to the story.

A study found that just one night of sleep deprivation can trigger a 60% amplification in reactivity of the amygdala in response to emotionally negative pictures, relative to a normal night of sleep.

For context, the amygdala is the part of your brain that is responsible for our fight-or-flight response. It is often referred to as one of the core parts of our "emotional brain." While this evolutionary mechanism has helped us survive through time, we don't want it chronically triggered, as this is what contributes to chronic anxiety and stress.

It seems like the more we find out about sleep, the more we realize how critical it is to physical and mental well-being.

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