A recent Harvard University study has found a link between sleep deprivation and instances of diabetes and obesity. According to the research, male participants who received less than 5.6 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period showed a decrease in their metabolic rate and insulin production. This was demonstrated after only 3 weeks.
Furthermore, researchers discovered that the slower metabolic rates due to erratic sleep contributed to a 12.5 pound weight increase over the course of a year despite no changes in exercise and food intake.
Go to http://www.chiroeco.com/chiropractic/news/12516/54/harvard-study-links-obesity-and-sleep-deprivation/ for more info.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Simple Steps to Improve Brain and Body Function
Lets look at three recent studies and see how easy it can be to improve ourselves both mentally and physically.
The first two studies were done at the University of Illinois. One study followed 65 previously sedentary people aged 59-80 yrs old, these subjects walked for 40 minutes 3 times per week. Scientists "found enhancements in brain function and better performance in cognitive activities." A second study at the University of Illinois in the psychology and neuroscience department found that higher levels of exercise can reduce dementia risk by 30-40% when compared to lower levels of exercise. "Physical activity can also trigger the growth of new nerve cells and promote nerve growth."
Another study done at the University of British Columbia at Vancouver involving older women found that those who did weight training performed 13% better on cognitive function tests than a group that did balance and toning exercises only.
These studies demonstrate that any exercise is beneficial for the mind and body with most experts recommending at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week with resistance training offering the most improvement in brain function possibly due to an increase in growth factor levels which nourish and protect nerve cells.
Now that we see it can be as easy as a short walk and some push-ups and squats (repetitive sit-down and stand-up) to improve our mind and our body lets get started.
The first two studies were done at the University of Illinois. One study followed 65 previously sedentary people aged 59-80 yrs old, these subjects walked for 40 minutes 3 times per week. Scientists "found enhancements in brain function and better performance in cognitive activities." A second study at the University of Illinois in the psychology and neuroscience department found that higher levels of exercise can reduce dementia risk by 30-40% when compared to lower levels of exercise. "Physical activity can also trigger the growth of new nerve cells and promote nerve growth."
Another study done at the University of British Columbia at Vancouver involving older women found that those who did weight training performed 13% better on cognitive function tests than a group that did balance and toning exercises only.
These studies demonstrate that any exercise is beneficial for the mind and body with most experts recommending at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week with resistance training offering the most improvement in brain function possibly due to an increase in growth factor levels which nourish and protect nerve cells.
Now that we see it can be as easy as a short walk and some push-ups and squats (repetitive sit-down and stand-up) to improve our mind and our body lets get started.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Statins & Heart Disease Protection?
I am still amazed at the number of patients who are still taking Statin drugs as a primary tool to prevent heart disease and cardiovascular events. Actually most physicians haven't even read the study that they are basing all these prescriptions on so why should the general public.
Recently I had an opportunity to read an article by Dr. David Seaman which impressed me with its thoroughness and simplicity. This is one of the easiest to understand articles I have read on the Jupiter study, the study often cited support for Statin use.
In the years since the Jupiter study several follow-up studies have shown that the there is little or no support for Statin drugs as a prevention therapy in "lower-risk primary prevention populations." Following the publishing by these other researchers Dr. Ridker, the primary author of the Jupiter study, commented on one of the follow-ups with: "I agree with the Ray et al., bottom line, which is what we have always said over and over: the first things to do to prevent heart disease is to eat a proper diet, exercise regularly and stop smoking." Following this great advise Dr. Ridker then made the misleading statement that being on a Statin will cut one's risk of having a heart event by 50%."
Lets look at the numbers from his Jupiter study.
8,901 Statin patients: 1.6% had events. 8,901 non-Statin placebo patients: 2.8% had events.
These means that 98.4% of the Statin subjects did not have events and 97.2% of the placebo patients did not have an event. Correct me if I am wrong but I do not see the saving of 50% more lives taking Statins that Dr. Ridker was referencing from his study.
Let us now look at what many recent studies are showing. One of the main causes of heart disease and Cardiovascular events is actually inflammation. As even Dr. Ridker said: "the first things to do to prevent heart disease is to eat a proper diet, exercise regularly and stop smoking." The current American diet is high in processed foods and sugar. This results in system-wide inflammation. This inflammation then increases the risk of a cardiac event and death.
A few anti-inflammatories that you can add immediately are the herbs ginger and turmeric. These can be added to your meals today. Another addition to your daily regimen is the herb Boswellia, from Frankinscence. This is an herb that I use on a daily basis to control the inflammatory activity from a couple of injuries years ago. I take 300 to 1200 mgs/day along with an antiinflammatory diet which includes lots of fruit and vegetables, coconut, grape seed and olive oils and lots of herbs when cooking. Remember, prevention is far more enjoyable than recovery.
Recently I had an opportunity to read an article by Dr. David Seaman which impressed me with its thoroughness and simplicity. This is one of the easiest to understand articles I have read on the Jupiter study, the study often cited support for Statin use.
In the years since the Jupiter study several follow-up studies have shown that the there is little or no support for Statin drugs as a prevention therapy in "lower-risk primary prevention populations." Following the publishing by these other researchers Dr. Ridker, the primary author of the Jupiter study, commented on one of the follow-ups with: "I agree with the Ray et al., bottom line, which is what we have always said over and over: the first things to do to prevent heart disease is to eat a proper diet, exercise regularly and stop smoking." Following this great advise Dr. Ridker then made the misleading statement that being on a Statin will cut one's risk of having a heart event by 50%."
Lets look at the numbers from his Jupiter study.
8,901 Statin patients: 1.6% had events. 8,901 non-Statin placebo patients: 2.8% had events.
These means that 98.4% of the Statin subjects did not have events and 97.2% of the placebo patients did not have an event. Correct me if I am wrong but I do not see the saving of 50% more lives taking Statins that Dr. Ridker was referencing from his study.
Let us now look at what many recent studies are showing. One of the main causes of heart disease and Cardiovascular events is actually inflammation. As even Dr. Ridker said: "the first things to do to prevent heart disease is to eat a proper diet, exercise regularly and stop smoking." The current American diet is high in processed foods and sugar. This results in system-wide inflammation. This inflammation then increases the risk of a cardiac event and death.
A few anti-inflammatories that you can add immediately are the herbs ginger and turmeric. These can be added to your meals today. Another addition to your daily regimen is the herb Boswellia, from Frankinscence. This is an herb that I use on a daily basis to control the inflammatory activity from a couple of injuries years ago. I take 300 to 1200 mgs/day along with an antiinflammatory diet which includes lots of fruit and vegetables, coconut, grape seed and olive oils and lots of herbs when cooking. Remember, prevention is far more enjoyable than recovery.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Pain, Inflammation and Dietary Changes
Back pain accounts for more than $100 billion in annual U.S. healthcare costs and a major component of pain is inflammation. Inflammation goes hand in hand in most discussions on pain and this is where we bring in the dietary changes. Several studies, including: "Controlled trial of fasting and one year vegetarian diet in rheumatoid arthritis", "Analgesic effects of dietary caloric restriction in adult mice", and others, tell us that overeating and the consumption of junk food increase pain. To quote Dr. D. R. Seaman: "it is clear that overeating nutrient-free and calorie dense foods (junk food) will lead to postprandial (after eating) elevations in glucose (blood sugar) and triglycerides, which is associated with inflammation." Now if eating junk food contributes to pain and pain costs Americans more than $100 billion a year then it makes no sense for people with pain to eat any junk food at all.
Identifying these patients is important. They are not necessarily overweight although many are, sedentary, overeat sugary foods, overeat white flour based foods and fatty foods. All of the above at the expense of fruits and vegetables.
In the context of keeping it simple I recommend a small calorie change. By cutting back or even better avoiding calorie heavy desserts after meals and junk food snacks during the day you can reduce your pain. If this is not enough and you don't need to visit your physician yet you can add a willow bark supplement to your cabinet and my favorite boswellia (the biblical Frankinscence). You can also add more ginger, turmeric, and curcumin to your cooking along with eating more fruits and veggies everyday. These herbs have been shown to decrease pain and inflammatory levels in many studies.
The problem of pain and it's cost to our economy is made worse by our poor eating habits and can be improved by adding more fruits and vegetables, a few common cooking spices and a couple of time tested herbs.
Identifying these patients is important. They are not necessarily overweight although many are, sedentary, overeat sugary foods, overeat white flour based foods and fatty foods. All of the above at the expense of fruits and vegetables.
In the context of keeping it simple I recommend a small calorie change. By cutting back or even better avoiding calorie heavy desserts after meals and junk food snacks during the day you can reduce your pain. If this is not enough and you don't need to visit your physician yet you can add a willow bark supplement to your cabinet and my favorite boswellia (the biblical Frankinscence). You can also add more ginger, turmeric, and curcumin to your cooking along with eating more fruits and veggies everyday. These herbs have been shown to decrease pain and inflammatory levels in many studies.
The problem of pain and it's cost to our economy is made worse by our poor eating habits and can be improved by adding more fruits and vegetables, a few common cooking spices and a couple of time tested herbs.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Saturated Fats and Osteoporosis
The past couple of weeks there has been a great deal of conversation with my patients about Calcium supplements and Osteoporosis. The big question was: "How can I have good blood levels and still have Osteopenia or have Osteoporosis?" and "I take a calcium supplement and I still have Osteopenia, why?" The answer is: You are not getting enough good saturated fats in your diet.
The problem is: With the big push to lower cholesterol the past 20 years or so we have seen a big rise in Osteoporosis, Obesity, Heart disease, Cancer, and Diabetes to name a few. The problem with a low all-fats diet is that most of the population replaced fat with carbohydrate and activity with TV, computer, and couch. The important thing to remember is excess carbohydrates, especially the ones that come in a box, a bag and are given to you through your car window are converted very quickly into fat for storage.
The solution is: More activity of any kind and good wholesome foods. These include the obvious fruits and vegetables, some good meat and good fats with Coconut oil and Olive oil leading the way and, the dreaded childhood oil, Cod liver oil. The first two should be used with every meal and healthy snack and the third as a daily supplement. The misguided hype against Coconut oil is that it is a saturated fat and all saturated fats are bad. These same well educated people do not know or just don't tell us that Coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid not a long chain fatty acid which means it breaks down and gets into your body as energy fast, like a carbohydrate, but because it is a fat it doesn't raise your insulin levels like a carbohydrate. Don't forget that all of your cells, including your brain, use the big word phospholipids(fat in normal conversation) to make their cell walls. That's right, to have strong cell walls we need fat, especially saturated fat. So what does a no fat diet do? It gives you weak, unhealthy cell walls which give you weak, unhealthy cells which give you a weak, unhealthy you.
This takes us back to the Osteoporosis concern. Your bone cells need saturated fats too. To keep this simple, you need 4 things to have healthy bones.
1. Good Calcium- calcium lactate and calcium citrate are the best, the others aren't worth talking about.
2. Good stomach acid/HCL- this breaks down the calcium so that your body can use it, anything that prevents or lowers stomach acid also lowers your calcium levels. Most people with stomach indigestion already produce to little stomach acid and the food just sits and this backs up as reflux. It is to little stomach acid not to much.
3. Good vitamin D levels- this moves the calcium out of your intestines into your blood stream giving you good serum/blood levels.
And the final step:
4. Good saturated fats (like the ones found in Coconut oil)- these fats move the calcium out of you blood into the bone and other cells for use.
That is how good saturated fats can help you prevent Osteoporosis and a whole host of other cell related diseases. It also helps with hunger and food cravings too.
The problem is: With the big push to lower cholesterol the past 20 years or so we have seen a big rise in Osteoporosis, Obesity, Heart disease, Cancer, and Diabetes to name a few. The problem with a low all-fats diet is that most of the population replaced fat with carbohydrate and activity with TV, computer, and couch. The important thing to remember is excess carbohydrates, especially the ones that come in a box, a bag and are given to you through your car window are converted very quickly into fat for storage.
The solution is: More activity of any kind and good wholesome foods. These include the obvious fruits and vegetables, some good meat and good fats with Coconut oil and Olive oil leading the way and, the dreaded childhood oil, Cod liver oil. The first two should be used with every meal and healthy snack and the third as a daily supplement. The misguided hype against Coconut oil is that it is a saturated fat and all saturated fats are bad. These same well educated people do not know or just don't tell us that Coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid not a long chain fatty acid which means it breaks down and gets into your body as energy fast, like a carbohydrate, but because it is a fat it doesn't raise your insulin levels like a carbohydrate. Don't forget that all of your cells, including your brain, use the big word phospholipids(fat in normal conversation) to make their cell walls. That's right, to have strong cell walls we need fat, especially saturated fat. So what does a no fat diet do? It gives you weak, unhealthy cell walls which give you weak, unhealthy cells which give you a weak, unhealthy you.
This takes us back to the Osteoporosis concern. Your bone cells need saturated fats too. To keep this simple, you need 4 things to have healthy bones.
1. Good Calcium- calcium lactate and calcium citrate are the best, the others aren't worth talking about.
2. Good stomach acid/HCL- this breaks down the calcium so that your body can use it, anything that prevents or lowers stomach acid also lowers your calcium levels. Most people with stomach indigestion already produce to little stomach acid and the food just sits and this backs up as reflux. It is to little stomach acid not to much.
3. Good vitamin D levels- this moves the calcium out of your intestines into your blood stream giving you good serum/blood levels.
And the final step:
4. Good saturated fats (like the ones found in Coconut oil)- these fats move the calcium out of you blood into the bone and other cells for use.
That is how good saturated fats can help you prevent Osteoporosis and a whole host of other cell related diseases. It also helps with hunger and food cravings too.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
The death of "D"
The D in this case is not vitamin D it is Heavy D the American rapper who died on 11/8/11 at the age of 44. Unlike many other successful entertainers Heavy D maintained a clean image and even though I was sad to hear of his death I was glad to hear that it was not due to drugs, alcohol or violence like so many other entertainers. Although dying from a pulmonary embolism sounds like a "that's to bad" or "there was nothing that could have been done" it is easily preventable when you know how it develops.
Keeping it simple: a thrombus is a type of blood cell called a platelet that adheres or sticks together at a tear in the inner, endothelial, lining of the blood vessel. These platelets are also called thrombocytes hence the name thrombus when they clump together on the exposed collagen. Remember collagen is on the outside of the endothelial lining, inner wall, of the blood vessel. This means that if your blood vessels are healthy and strong no thrombus develops to break off and no death by cardio or pulmonary embolism when the thrombus gets stuck in a smaller vessel.
Platelets or thrombocytes adhere to collagen fibers, this is prevented by the inner endothelial lining of your blood vessels. As long as your inner, endothelial lining is intact platelets and collagen do not meet and no thrombus develops. When the lining is disrupted by injury or pathological change, platelets stick to the exposed collagen fibers. This starts a negative cascade and every platelet that now comes by becomes sticky forming a clot or thrombus. As more platelets get stuck the clot becomes bigger, the blood vessel becomes blocked and this is a thrombus or Deep Vein Thrombosis(DVT). This can cause a thrombosis at the site or break off and float around, called an embolism, until it gets stuck somewhere else usually in a small vessel in the heart or lungs causing a cardio or pulmonary thrombosis and death.
The simple math is this: Simple carbohydrates/junk food and junk drinks=Blood vessel irritation=Blood vessel inflammation=Blood vessel tearing=Platelets sticking/clotting=Blood vessel blockage=Thrombosis=Death.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Hydration/Dehydration
With our emphasis on nutrition I wanted to give a gentle reminder to myself and everyone else that one of the most important nutrients is also one of the most overlooked and that is water.
"Almost every fluid, with the exception of water and most non-diuretic botanical teas, causes dehydration. Notably, caffeine, alcohol, carbonated beverages, and juices can actually "rob" the body of water and needed electrolytes. Water is the single most important nutrient for optimal biochemistry and functioning."
On an average day the human body loses approximately 2.5 liters of water and extra water is needed during times of extra water loss. These can include; exercise and sweating, diarrhea, vomiting and diuretic use.
How much water should I drink? The old recommendation of 8 glasses of 8 ounces/day was easy to remember but not very sensible. If I am 6'2" 195 lbs and you are 5'2" 110 lbs we have different water needs. The easiest and most individual way to determine that is to take your body weight in pounds then divide by 2 and drink that amount of water in ounces daily. A 200 lb. person needs 100 ounces of water and a 100 lb. person needs 50 ounces of water.
When choosing water you can look to the blog posted on 3/28/2011 entitled "Water isn't just water".
Some information is from D. Weatherby, N.D. and S. Ferguson, N.D.: Clinical Laboratory Testing from a Functional Perspective.
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