Coffee on an Empty Stomach Stimulates- 1. Cortisol (stress hormone) - Coffee directly increases cortisol - On an empty stomach, the spike is larger High cortisol- This is the biggest issue for women with night waking, lack of belly fat loss or constipation. 2. Adrenaline (Epinephrine) - Triggers “fight or flight” - Increases alertness and heart rate Can feel like it's helpful short term, however it may be stressful long term (for specific people & conditions).This stalls fat loss. 3. Noradrenaline (Norepinephrine) - Sharpens focus - Suppresses appetite - Tightens blood vessels and gut muscles This can temporarily reduce hunger but slow digestion. 4. Dopamine - Increases motivation and pleasure - Reinforces the habit (“I need coffee to feel normal”) This is why coffee can feel emotionally regulating. 5. Glucagon - Signals the liver to release stored glucose (sugar) - Raises blood sugar when no food is present This is why coffee can feel energizing even without eating, but it increases stress signaling. This stalls fat loss. 6. Reduced Insulin Signaling (indirect effect) - Coffee before food can blunt insulin sensitivity short term. This stalls fat loss. When coffee is taken without food, the body interprets it as “We need energy, but none is coming in therefore...... release the stress hormones.” This raises blood sugar. For someone already dealing with- - Constipation - Bloating - Night waking - Fat loss resistance This can reinforce the stress loop. Why is coffee is different with food? When coffee is taken after eating then - - Cortisol response is smaller - Blood sugar is more stable - Digestion is less disrupted - Less rebound bloating later Same coffee , VERY different hormonal response. FitnHealthy Forever Tip - Coffee on an empty stomach pushes stress hormones up, coffee after food is much gentler on your system. Does all of this mean that Coffee is bad? Heck no! Coffee can be a powerful tool, however like any Power Tool, it's best when used properly.

Are You - wired at night? - waking between 2- 4am? - severe constipation? This is not a discipline problem or a “need more fiber” problem. It’s a methane- cortisol- thyroid loop in action. I’ll walk you through what’s happening step by step. What this pattern tells us (clinically) 1. Cortisol is inverted or spiking at night Waking between 2-4am is classic for- - Night-time cortisol/adrenaline spikes. Tigers - Blood sugar instability. Tigers - A nervous system stuck in “threat mode”. Tigers Your body isn’t resting, it’s scanning for Tigers. 2. Severe constipation is usually methane dominance Severe constipation usually means- - Methane producing archaea are active - Gut motility is suppressed - Gas is being trapped low in the abdomen This is mechanical and hormonal, not a hydration or fiber issue. 3.Thyroid signaling is being down regulated This combo strongly suggests- - Reduced T4 to T3 conversion (hypothyroid symptoms) - Higher reverse T3 signaling (hypothyroid symptoms) - Lower cellular energy availability (hypothyroid symptoms) Even if labs look “normal,” tissue level thyroid effect is often low. Why fasting & fiber backfire here (pun intended) - Fasting increases cortisol when energy is already perceived as low - Fiber / resistant starch feeds methane and worsens motility - Coffee on an empty stomach spikes adrenaline - Late, larger dinners push cortisol later into the night All of this reinforces the loop - - Methane - leads to - stress - leads to - low T3 - leads to - slower gut- leads to - more methane and the cycle begins again What actually helps (sequenced correctly) STEP 1- Re anchor circadian rhythm (non-negotiable) This comes before any fat loss push. Morning - Eat within 30- 90 minutes of waking, consult with a Qualified Health Professional first as SIBO not be Your challenge - Protein alone or plus digestible carbs - Avoid fasting + black coffee Evening

This is one of the most under recognized reasons fat loss stalls in people with methane dominant patterns even when calories are “right” and compliance is high. I’ll connect the dots cleanly. Here's the core issue Methane doesn’t just cause constipation. It creates a metabolic environment that resists fat loss. HOW? 1. Methane slows gut motility which leads to chronic energy stress Methane gas- - Directly slows intestinal smooth muscle - Reduces peristalsis - Increases transit time, one "end" the other This causes- - Gas trapping - Abdominal pressure - Mechanical distention Here's the big Catch - Slowed motility signals the body that conditions are “unsafe.” The nervous system interprets this as- - Low energy availability - Threat - Conservation mode That shifts hormones toward fat preservation, not release. 2. Fermentation steals calories before you absorb them properly In methane cases- - Resistant starch + fermentable carbs - Are fermented too early (small intestine) - Instead of being absorbed as glucose The result is that - You eat calories - Bacteria consume a chunk of them - You get less usable energy Oddly enough due to lack of available nutrition, this leads to- - Hunger - Fatigue - Stronger cravings - Lower metabolic output The body responds says - “DANGER - We’re not getting enough hold onto that bodyfat.” 3.Methane increases endotoxin exposure which then leads to insulin resistance Fermentation & overgrowth increases- - Endotoxin (LPS) exposure - Low grade localized or systemic inflammation - Visceral stress signaling Even without already obvious blood sugar issues, this can- - Reduce insulin sensitivity locally - Increase fat storage signaling - Especially in the lower abdomen This is why methane cases often say- “I lose everywhere except my belly.” 4.Constipation impairs estrogen & bile clearance Slow transit time affects- - Estrogen recycling - Bile acid circulation - Thyroid signaling

Resistant starch is starch that resists digestion in the small intestine and instead gets fermented by microbes further down. It negatively affects all 3 types of SIBO. That fermentation can be helpful or problematic, depending on gut health (especially SIBO). Here are the main, practical examples, grouped in a way that actually makes sense. Raw starch powders (most fermentable) These are the strongest forms and most likely to worsen SIBO symptoms. - Potato starch (raw, unheated) - Green banana flour - High-amylose maize starch (e.g., Hi-Maize) These- - Are almost entirely resistant starch - Feed bacteria very efficiently - Commonly increase gas, bloating, and distention in SIBO Cooked and then cooled starches When starch is cooked and then cooled, part of it becomes resistant. Examples- - Cooked potatoes that are cooled (potato salad, leftovers) - Cooked rice that is cooled (sushi rice, leftover rice) - Cooked pasta that is cooled - Cooked oats that are cooled overnight Important nuance- - Freshly cooked is less resistant - Cooled is more resistant - Reheating lowers resistance slightly, but not fully Unripe or less ripe plant foods These contain naturally occurring resistant starch. - Green (unripe) bananas - Green plantains - Very firm, underripe fruit As fruit ripens - - Resistant starch change to simple sugars - Fermentation risk shifts from starch based to sugar based fibers Legumes and pulses These are a mix of resistant starch & fermentable fibers. - Lentils - Chickpeas - Black beans - Kidney beans - Navy beans Even when well cooked- - Still highly fermentable - Often problematic in methane or mixed SIBO - We have FitnHealthy Forever way of reducing this effect by soaking overnight & rinsing well Whole and minimally processed grains Contain smaller but meaningful amounts. - Barley - Rye - Whole wheat - Oats (especially steel-cut or cooled) Tolerance depends heavily on-

What are archaea and why the heck should I care? 🤣 Archaea are microorganisms, like bacteria, but they are a completely different life group. Life is broadly divided into- - Bacteria - Archaea - Eukaryotes (plants, animals, humans) So archaea are not bacteria, even though- - They look similar under a microscope - They live in the gut - They interact with bacteria The simplest way to think about it - Bacteria - make hydrogen - Archaea - consume hydrogen and make methane They work as a team. Why does archaea matter in SIBO? Methane is not made by bacteria Methane is produced almost entirely by methanogenic archaea, mainly- - Methanobrevibacter smithii (the big one in most humans) These archaea- - Eat hydrogen produced by bacteria - Convert it into methane gas So methane SIBO is really- Bacterial overgrowth PLUS archaeal overgrowth That’s why the terminology is shifting toward- - IMO (Intestinal Methanogen Overgrowth)instead of methane SIBO But clinically, the symptoms are the same. Why methane slows everything down (think constipation) Methane- - Directly slows intestinal muscle contractions - Reduces peristalsis - Acts like a brake pedal on the gut This is why methane is strongly associated with- - Constipation - Incomplete evacuation - Gas trapping - Lower abdominal distention This is a mechanical effect, not just inflammation. Why fiber and resistant starch often backfire. We think "I'll just add more fiber and I'll go more often" Here’s the chain reaction no one tells You - 1. You eat fermentable carbs or resistant starch 2. Bacteria make hydrogen 3. Archaea consume hydrogen 4. Archaea produce methane 5. Methane slows motility 6. Slower motility leads to even more overgrowth It becomes a self-feeding loop. Why this changes your SIBO treatment strategy if this is You. Archaea- - Do not respond well to many standard antibiotics - Are harder to reduce - Thrive when hydrogen is abundant