by Dr. G. Pepper | Aug 20, 2010 | diabetes, diet, diet and weight loss, general health & nutrition, health, hormones, metabolism, nutrition, weight gain, weight loss
After reading the latest research on the metabolic hazards associated with chubby necks I am more sensitive to the size of people’s necks then ever. Of course I look at the size of my patient’s neck but people who I pass in the street or supermarket may find me staring. Watching TV a few days ago I was startled by a series of people in one commercial for Quicken Loans who definitely qualify for the metabolic high risk category based on neck chubbiness. One after another the characters in this commercial walk on, outdoing each other in this physical trait. Has the chubby neck become the new normal? If so, the incidence of diabetes and heart disease is sure to continue to rise.
Let me know if you agree with my impression, or am I biased by being an endocrinologist?
Gary Pepper, M.D.
Editor-in-chief, Metabolism.com
by Dr. G. Pepper | Jul 16, 2010 | diet, diet and weight loss, fitness, general health & nutrition
Metabolism.com is pleased to share the following article provided by our guest contributor, Tom Hines.
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In some ways, your body is like a machine — it works best when it’s properly maintained and tuned up. Food is your fuel and when you fill your tank with lousy fuel, your engine sputters and stalls. If your body’s engine is sluggish and needs a jumpstart, spirulina and other green superfoods can help deliver the energy necessary to keep the machine running smoothly, avoiding a breakdown.
Spirulina is a ‘green superfood,’ a term used to describe various nutrient-rich natural supplements, which include Chlorella, Wheat Grass, Barley Grass, Alfalfa and Kelp. Unlike most store-bought supplements, the concentrated vitamins and minerals they provide are not synthetic. Green superfoods are whole foods harvested directly from nature and are exactly what your body needs to offset stress and to clear away toxins.
SAD is very sad indeed
S.A.D. stands for Standard American Diet – there was never a more apt acronym. The majority of U.S. citizens today subsist on processed fast food laden with refined carbohydrates and saturated fats. Meats are frequently tainted with growth hormones, antibiotics and pathogens. For people who manage to work the recommended five to nine daily servings of fruit and vegetables into their diet, modern agricultural techniques have stripped crops of many vitamins and minerals.
Processed and cooked foods, which are the cornerstones of the S.A.D, and beverages such as coffee, tea, soft drinks and alcohol create an acidic blood pH, encouraging the growth of bacteria, fungus and mold. In an overly acidic environment, the body literally begins to compost. Illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes are often the result of the composting process. Green superfoods have an alkalizing effect, counteracting the acidity caused by poor diet, stress and toxic overload and setting the stage for a return to good health.
Spirulina and Chlorella, the most super of the green superfoods
Spirulina is a blue-green algae whose name comes from its spiral coil shape. High quality spirulina thrives in both salt and fresh water in tropical climates and it is known to have nourished the Aztecs, who harvested the algae from Lake Texcoco. Some of the benefits of Spirulina are:
- Contains all of the essential amino acids vital to human health
- An excellent protein source for all vegetarians, including vegans
- Balances blood sugar by boosting glycogen, which offsets insulin
- Rich in GLA (gamma linolenic acid) and other essential fatty acids Delivers an array of vitamins, including the all-important folic acid
- High in potassium and a dozen other minerals
- Improves focus and mental clarity
Chlorella is a single-celled green algae whose name is derived from Greek and Latin words that translate to “little green.†In the 1940’s and 1950’s, intensive research was done on little green algae’s potential role in solving world hunger, due to its high protein content and its bounty of beneficial vitamins and minerals. The natural health community, meanwhile, has always touted Chlorella’s health-imparting properties, particularly in the area of detoxification. In addition to being the very best source of chlorophyll, here are some more of Chlorella supplement benefits:
- Rids the body of toxins and stored waste
- Tones and cleanses the blood
- Reduces body odor, acting as an internal deodorant
- Improves bowel health and reduces flatulence
- Naturally freshens the breath
- Clears the skin
Cereal grasses and seaweed
Wheat grass is a popular juicing ingredient due to its superior nutrition, which it delivers without raising blood sugar. It also helps to lower blood pressure.
Barley grass alkalizes the blood and strengthens the digestive system.
Alfalfa helps reduce LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or bad cholesterol, without affecting levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or good cholesterol and studies are underway to determine its effectiveness at lowering blood sugar levels and its ability to invigorate the immune system.
Kelp is a brown-algae seaweed, which grows in abundant kelp forests in shallow oceans all around the world. Kelp is rich in iodine and therefore beneficial to overall thyroid health. Its high vitamin and mineral content promotes pituitary and adrenal gland health as well. It’s renowned for its contribution to lustrous hair and skin. Taken shortly after exposure, it can also mitigate the negative ramifications of heavy metals and irradiation.
Making the most of green superfoods
Incorporating Spirulina, Chlorella and other green superfoods into the diet is easy, since they are all available in powdered form. Simply mix the desired amount into salad dressing, or add it to soup, juice or water. The taste is fresh and green and the active enzymes of living food add a healthy dimension even to a less than healthy meal. Of course, pregnant or breastfeeding women and people taking medications should consult with their doctors before incorporating any new food into their diets.
Many people who regularly incorporate green superfoods into their daily regimen have reported increased energy, mental clarity and an overall healthy glow. When stress, toxic thoughts and an imperfect diet have left your body’s engine sluggish, green superfoods are a quick and easy way to put yourself back on the road to health. Long may you run!
About the Author
Tom Hines, co-owner of NutritionGeeks.com (MN #1 Now Foods herbal provider), has been working in the nutrition industry since 1997, is a competitive powerlifter, lives with his wife Netti and three boys TJ, Grady and Brock on the prairie in west central Minnesota, spends his leisure time coaching youth wrestling, working with his horses and being play toy #1 for his boys.
by Clinical Nutritionist | Feb 3, 2010 | Uncategorized
5 steps, 5 simple steps can help us reduce dis-ease and induce ease.
1) Â EAT WHAT GROWS OUT OF THE GROUND. Â A pretty simple concept, yet the best way to have a healthy diet high in fiber, antioxidants, phytonutrients, good fats and good carbs. Â Eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables combined can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, Â high blood pressure and even osteoporosis. Â Ideally eat 9 or more servings per day for optimal health. Â Add whole grains, legumes, Â nuts, seeds, herbs and spices and you are on your way to a truly health promoting diet. Â Of course it is important to minimize exposure to pesticides and toxins that can end up in our produce and we’ll cover that in a future post.
2) Â HYDRATE. Â Drinking adequate amounts of fluids is extremely important to our metabolism. Â Our bodies are at least 60% water and even mild dehydration can lead to headaches, fatigue and impaired athletic performance. Â Preferably our fluid intake will mostly come from purified water (I recommend Reverse Osmosis for several reasons we will cover in a future post). Â You can use RO water to make tea, coffee, lemonade and fruit seltzers. Â Most of us need at least 1 ounce per kilogram of body weight to start. Â We need to take in additional fluid in case of hot weather, losses during exertion, fever and other specific conditions.
3) Â BE ACTIVE. Â We all know that a sedentary lifestyle can increase our risk of heart disease and even cancer! Â Moderate activity that lasts at least 60 minutes should be done daily , or at least 5 days per week. Â To improve our fitness level, aerobic activity can be added a minimum of 3 times per week along with some weight training to build and maintain lean body mass.
4) Â RELAX. Â Stress can be as detrimental as a poor diet. Â The “fight or flight” response is great if you have to wrestle a foe or escape from one. Â A chronic “fight or flight” response is not great as the hormones coursing through our bloodstream can actually wreak havoc on our systems over time. Â A constant barrage of cortisol can even negatively affect parts of the brain. Â Deep breathing can reverse the stress response and begin to restore balance and harmony. Â Plan play time and get adequate sleep in order to keep that balance.
5) Â SMILE! Â Just the thought of a smile can make us feel really good. Â Imagine what the real thing can do!
by Gary Pepper M.D. | Aug 22, 2008 | general health & nutrition
For years the press has reported that Omega-3 fatty acids from fish and flax oil are beneficial to the cardiovascular system. However, few people realize the positive effect that Omega-9 fats have on cardiovascular health. In this month of “matters of the heart”, we shall explore such benefits.
Omega-9 fats are the monounsaturated fatty acids.
Back in 1992, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition released a study comparing long term monounsaturated fatty acid diets with polyunsaturated fatty acid diets on lipoprotein levels of healthy men and women. Researchers concluded that polyunsaturated fats reduced LDL and HDL levels, while monounsaturated fats reduced LDL, and increased HDL levels. This is an important fact to understand. High density lipoproteins (HDL) are protective in that they transport cholesterol back to the liver from peripheral cells, and the circulation, for breakdown and excretion. In this same year, another study called the Jerusalem Nutrition Study examined the effects of a diet high in monounsaturated fats as compared with a diet high in carbohydrates. Total cholesterol and LDL levels decreased significantly on the monounsaturated fat diet, whereas on the high carbohydrate diet no significant change in cholesterol concentrations occurred. In addition, the monounsaturated fat diet seemed to protect LDL from damage by free radicals, which sparked future research, as I will address further in this article.
Another protective factor called apolipoprotein A-1, the major constituent of HDL, was shown to be increased by monounsaturated fatty acids. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids may be more advantageous than a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids because it does not lower apolipoprotein A-1 concentrations.
In the December 1999 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Clinical Nutritionists compared the effect of four diet patterns on the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk profile with a standard American diet. The four diets were the American Heart Association, National Cholesterol Education Program Step II diet, and 3 high monounsaturated fatty acid diets (the first with olive oil, the second with peanut oil, and the third with peanuts and peanut butter). The researchers concluded that the high monounsaturated fatty acid diets lowered total cholesterol and LDL by levels comparable to that of the American Heart Association/ Step II diet. However, in the monounsaturated fatty acid diets, triglycerides decreased and HDL levels did not decrease at all. On the other hand, triglycerides increased and HDL decreased on the American Heart Association/Step II diet. The three monounsaturated fatty acid diets decreased CVD risk by a higher percentage than the American Heart Association/Step II diet. Based on this data, researchers suggested a high monounsaturated fatty acid, cholesterol lowering diet, may be preferable to a low-fat diet due to more favorable effects on the CVD risk profile.
Another study tried to compare the effects of high monounsaturated fat diets with high carbohydrate diets in adults at high risk for type 2 diabetes. Researchers reported in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition that HDL levels increased on the monounsaturated fat diets, and total cholesterol decreased even though the diet contained 40% of its calories from fat, with 25% from monounsaturated sources.
Researchers in Italy, compared a high carbohydrate, low fat diet, with a reduced carbohydrate, high monounsaturated fat diet on CVD risk factors in mildly obese women. The results in a 1999 issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine illustrated that HDL increased significantly in the high monounsaturated fat diet group, whereas a decreased level was observed in the high carbohydrate group.
At the beginning of the study, the obese women had higher very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and LDL cholesterol, and lower HDL cholesterol levels that persisted in the high carbohydrate diet group, but a significant decrease in LDL levels, and an increase in HDL cholesterol occurred in the high monounsaturated fat diet group. Lastly, a major constituent of HDL called apolipoprotein A-1, which is believed to be protective against CVD increased in the high monounsaturated fat diet group, and decreased in the high carbohydrate diet group.
In an interesting study in the April 1999 Free Radical Research, monounsaturated fat (specifically olive oil), was compared with polyunsaturated fat in rate or existence of free radical damage to LDL cholesterol. The theory is that LDL becomes more involved in the process of atherosclerosis after undergoing oxidative damage, thus increasing CVD risk. The researchers concluded that monounsaturated fat helped LDL become more resistant to free radical damage. Such evidence coincides with that of the aforementioned Jerusalem Nutrition Study’s reporting of decreased free radical damage of LDL cholesterol due to dietary increase of monounsaturated fat.
In 1998, the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition printed another study testing the potential rate of LDL damage by free radicals in patients with impaired glucose tolerance, on either a high monounsaturated fat, or polyunsaturated fat diet. The results revealed that in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance, a polyunsaturated rich diet with a moderate amount of fat tended to increase the susceptibility of LDL to free radical damage as compared to a high monounsaturated fat diet, which seemed to protect LDL from such damage.
Does this mean we should all increase our fat intake? Not exactly. In response to this mounting evidence, it might be wise to replace saturated fats, and some carbohydrate with monounsaturated fats in the diet, which is what I do when designing personal nutritional profiles. Such a plan may be a more effective option for improving cardiovascular function, lipid profiles, and glycemic control.
Foods high in monounsaturated fats include avocados, nuts and nut butters, seeds and seed butters (such as tahini), olives, olive oil and canola oil.
