Really, it's not dietary fat that's the issue...

One of the most common things people say to explain being overweight is that it's "hormonal." Well, they're right! But most often they do not know why they're right.

Hormone levels do influence weight gain and loss. In fact, there is one hormone in particular that primarily controls weight and how much fat you put into or take out of fat cells.  That hormone is INSULIN.  Insulin is released when you eat, particularly when you eat carbohydrates.  Here's a simple breakdown of what happens when you eat a carbohydrate:

1. Eat a carbohydrate
2. Glucose (sugar) is released into the blood
3. Insulin is released from the pancreas
4. Insulin transports sugar into cells

At this point, three things can happen:

1. The sugar is burned for energy, or
2. The sugar is stored as glycogen, or,
3. The sugar is stored as FAT.

Once sugar is stored as fat, it must be burned as fat.  It will not be converted back to sugar.  And it's the stored fat we want to lose!

Simply put:  When insulin levels are high, (because of excessive carb intake) you will NOT burn fat.  If your insulin levels are low, stored fat is released into the bloodstream and burned for energy, causing you to LOSE WEIGHT.  In a nutshell:

Low carb = low insulin = fat burning weight loss

Objections to Low Carb/Atkins weight loss programs

The most common objection I hear from people regarding the low carb/Atkins approach to weight loss is that eating fat is bad for your health. Well, this is not entirely true.  While trans fats (those fats that result from processing otherwise healthy fats and oils, i.e. margarine) are horrible for you, mono-unsaturated, polyunsaturated, and even saturated fats are not unhealthy as a general rule.  The crux of this objection or fear is the belief that fat elevates your cholesterol levels thereby making you more susceptible to heart disease and stroke.  If you believe this, then let's take a little quiz:

1. What macronutrient (these are the energy sources in food: fat, carbohydrate, and protein) raises your blood levels of saturated fat and triglycerides?

2. Which of these three lowers your HDL ('good' cholesterol) levels?

The answer is CARBOHYDRATES!

Other objections focus on the belief that eating carbohydrates is part of a balanced, healthy eating plan and Atkins doesn't allow that.

First, Atkins does allow you to eat carbohydrates, however, the focus is on those sources of carbohydrate that are more slowly digested and have minimal impact on blood sugar (and therefore insulin) levels in the blood.  

The program recommends foundation vegetables as the primary source of carbohydrate during the initial stages.  These vegetables provide vital nutrients and fiber while having minimal impact on your blood sugar.  As you progress through the phases, you can add more carbohydrate to your tolerance.  Atkins suggests selecting nutrient dense sources, such as nuts, seeds, and low sugar fruits.

If you are overweight and want to lose fat pounds, a diet focused on "low fat" will not work over the long term, because low fat foods are high in carbohydrate and often substitute empty calories from sugar or processed white flour.  These foodstuffs will cause you to have high circulating levels of insulin and you will store all those carbs as fat.

Another retort I hear about low carb approaches is that they are not heart healthy.  Well, we already talked about carbs and how they negatively affect saturated fat and cholesterol, so we won't repeat that again.  Rather, think of this point:  Excess weight/obesity is typically synonymous with poor health, and particularly poor cardiovascular health, so how can a diet (low carb) that makes you lose weight be unhealthy?

Our next installment will cover counting carbs and the best way to start a low carb diet!

Don't forget to subscribe to the blog!

Going Down! Weight loss hits home...

As any of you that know me, whether friend, patient, or both, you know that I'm not the slimmest guy around and that I could stand to lose some weight.  Like it has for many people, weight loss has been a nearly life long struggle for me (pictures from when I was around 7 or 8 show a pretty slim kid, but after that...)

Over my life, I've been to the doctor, who put me on severe calorie restricted diets (600 cal/day for a growing adolescent?), tried various chocolate shake diets (you know that's really what they are), and the list goes on.

If you've ever struggled with weight loss, you know the frustration and self-loathing that goes along with the lack of progress and ultimate failure of any attempt at weight loss.  I have shared that frustration for some time.

Two years ago I read a book by Gary Taubes entitled, "Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health." This book both enlightened and enraged me.  Basically, I came to understand that we as a society have been led down an erroneous path to for the past 60+ years.  It is not dietary fat that is our problem, rather it is the fact that the Standard American Diet (SAD) is based on carbohydrate intake, chiefly from grains such as corn and wheat, sugar, and high fructose corn syrup.  Over the past few decades Americans have, in fact, been very good at following orders to decrease fat intake, which would make you think that the problem of obesity would be improving. Nothing could be further from the truth, rates of obesity and diabetes have skyrocketed to epidemic levels in this country.

I can sum up "Good Calories, Bad Calories," for you in three words:  Atkins was right.

Yes, the low carb route is the way to go if you want to lose weight and keep it off.  I started on November 4 and to date I have lost 9 pounds and I'm a notch tighter on my belt.

If you think that a low carb diet is the "bacon and eggs" diet, or if you think that it's unhealthy for your cholesterol levels or your heart, then you must...

TUNE IN TOMORROW FOR MORE!

Happy 4th of July!

Enjoy your Holiday! The office will be closed July 4th and re-open July 5th.

Spring is Here! Are you ready?

Spring comes a little early this year, and with it the hope to get outside, clean up the yard, get the golf clubs ready and the bicycles tuned up.

Make sure that your body is ready for the "Spring Surge" of activity.  I know that many of you are avid gardeners, cyclists, and all-around outdoor enthusiasts, but please remember to ease into your activities this Spring.  Most of us have been relatively sedentary during the cold Winter months, which leads to relative decreases in strength and flexibility.

Take some time to do some easy stretching and a general warm-up (walking around the block a couple times) before you dive into your activity.  And remember that prolonged positioning is the enemy of the spine, get up and move around every 20 to 30 minutes to prevent spinal injuries.  These frequent breaks are an opportunity to keep yourself hydrated as well.

Keep yourself mindful of these easy tips and you'll be less likely to injure yourself.  If you need some stretching tips or other help getting ready for Spring, give us a call!

Vitamin D and Bone Health

Vitamin D has been in the news a lot lately.  Research is uncovering the role of Vitamin D in immunity and cancer, but there has also been some uncertainty about the quantity of Vitamin D needed to maintain bone health.  As you know, Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium.

The present recommendations from the Office of Dietary Supplementation a the National Institutes of Health are as follows:

Ages 1-70:     600 IU per day, male or female
Ages 70+:      800 IU per day

If you get some sun exposure (5-30 minutes) on your face, arms, legs, or back between 10 AM and 3 PM twice per week, without sunscreen, you probably manufacture enough Vitamin D already.  The quantities from the NIH are based on minimal sun exposure.

Very few foods contain sufficient Vitamin D.  These would be cod liver oil, salmon, and swordfish.  Because of this, foods such as milk and cereal are fortified with Vitamin D.  People who get limited sun exposure and eat few fortified foods probably require supplementation.

Couple a quality Vitamin D supplement with a good source of calcium.  Dietary calcium is best, but if you do not eat many calcium containing foods, choose a supplement that provides calcium that can be absorbed.  Calcium lactate or calcium citrate are excellent sources.

If you have any questions or would like more information about Vitamin D and bone health, please contact us!

Weather Related Joint Pain

The increased achiness felt with weather changes is usually present in people with arthritic changes in the joints, especially those of the spine, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows and hands.  Joints with a history of injury are particularly susceptible to weather changes.

This phenomenon has been dismissed by many, but research has shown that nerves sensitive to pressure changes, called baroreceptors,(like barometer) are sensitive to even slight changes in atmospheric air pressure.  “The phenomenon of people being able to forecast precipitation, especially rain, due to the level of their joint pain is real,” says Dr. Javad Parvizi, director of clinical research at the Rothman Institute at Jefferson, and associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia   “It is not in the patient’s head.  There is science to back it up.”

However, people  seem to be most sensitive to change from high to low barometric pressure, which usually happens when the weather turns from dry to moist, such as before rain or snow.

What you can do to help yourself

Omega 3 (fish oil or flaxseed) supplements can help reduce inflammation.  Glucosamine sulfate (not HCl) and chondroitin in combination are effective at reducing arthritic pain.  Enzyme based natural anti-inflammatory supplements like Bromelain are effective and don’t harm the liver or kidneys.  Using enzyme based supplements for this purpose requires specific dosing instructions for the supplements to be effective. It has been our experience that people who obtain these supplements from health food stores rarely get the proper dosage instructions.  Consult your Chiropractor to learn how to use these supplements effectively.

If you are interested in using supplements to control your joint pain, or if you are interested in Chiropractic care, call us at 219-738-1925 or visit our website, www.integratedchiro.net

Parvizi, J People with joint pain really can forecast thunderstorms. Science Daily June 3, 2008.

Migraines and Acupuncture

Did you know that some 28-33 MILLION Americans suffer from Migraine headaches (MHA)?  MHA is ranked 19th among disability causing conditions by the World Health Organization (WHO). Here are a couple of other interesting statistics:

•94% of people who consult their Doctor for head pain have MHA.

•90% of people who consult their Doctor for sinus HA’s actually have MHA

•28-33 million people have MHA in the U.S., compared to 32 million who have asthma, Diabetes, and Congestive Heart Disease combined

Migraine is considered a "primary" headache, meaning it is not attributable to any other condition or illness.  There are many types and subtypes of MHA.  The most common type of MHA is Migraine without aura (aura is a set of sensory precursors, such as a smell or flashing lights in the eyes that the sufferer experiences prior to the onset of the MHA).

The causal mechanism of MHA is poorly understood.  Originally, it was believed that the cause was vascular, probably because of the pulsing quality of the pain.  Research has shown that although there is some change in bloodflow at the brainstem (base of the brain, just above the spinal cord in the neck), there is no change in bloodflow within the cortex of the brain or surrounding tissues.  Current thinking is that MHA is a neurobiologic issue. It is now believed that hyper sensitization of nerve endings within the brain itself are responsible for the initiation of MHA. Thus, attacks originate within the brain. The brain is not in itself a pain sensitive structure, but it is where the perception of all sensation (including pain) takes place.  The nerves respond first, thereafter affecting blood flow.  Here are a few things that are known:

•Migraine sufferers are over-stimulated by what they see and hear.

•Pain starts within the brainstem, which is considered the migraine generator.

•Visual changes (aura) result from an electrically charged wave sweeping across the brain surface, followed by decreased charge.

•The throbbing/pulsing sensation is due to swelling (inflammation) of the brain’s surface blood vessels and it’s covering (dura mater, meninges)

•Hypersensitive nerve endings in the brain result in allodynia, or pain resulting from stimulation that is normally non-painful.

This hypersensitivity is why sufferers do not want to be touched or talked to while having a migraine.  Most prefer a quiet, dark place to rest until the pain passes.

TREATMENT OPTIONS
There are two main types of treatment, prophylactic/preventative, or abortive.
Prophylactic treatment seeks to prevent the onset of MHA.  Some common prophylactic choices include:

• Beta blockers (propanolol) affect the blood vessels around the brain

• Anti-seizure meds like topiramate are used to prevent migraines in adults

• Acupuncture

• Chiropractic 

• Feverfew herb 

The most common abortive measure includes:

•Triptans affect the blood vessels and nerve endings that become irritated during a MHA.

•They are not a preventative and cannot be taken within 24 hours of other migraine meds.

WHY ACUPUNCTURE? 

Acupuncture is an effective MHA preventative measure. At Integrated Chiropractic 

Rehab, www.integratedchiro.net we have had patients who report decreased frequency and intensity of 

MHA. Furthermore, research supports the use of acupuncture as a reliable preventative measure for MHA:

•Vickers, et al. at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York performed a study on 401 chronic HA    sufferers, primarily MHA.

–12 visits over 3 months

–HA pain in the acupuncture group was almost 50% lower at 12 month follow up.

–Acupuncture group experienced 22 fewer HA days, used 15% less meds, had 25% fewer GP visits, and 15% fewer days off. 

•2009 Cochrane Database Review reported that there is consistent evidence that acupuncture is at least as effective, and possibly more effective than drug prophylaxis, with far fewer side effects, and continued benefit long after treatment ended.

   

HOW DOES ACUPUNCTURE WORK?

Acupuncture works by increasing circulating levels of endorphins, the body’s natural pain killing chemicals.  This reduces pain and prevents the onset of migraine by maintaining a circulating level of painkiller.  Acupuncture also provides stress relief! The overwhelming majority of our patients report profound relaxation during and after treatment. This decreases the sensitivity of migraine sufferers to triggers and promotes an overall sense of balance.

Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles at specific points on the body.  The majority of the time, this process is painless.  The most you might feel is a momentary pinch at the site of needle insertion.  This typically passes as quickly as it comes.  Once all the needles are inserted, you relax for 20 minutes.  For MHA, we use points on the head, arms, neck, back, and legs.  Because there are points on both sides of the body, we must do two 20 minute sessions per visit to provide comprehensive treatment.

Each person responds differently, so it is difficult to predict how many visits it will take to effect change.  Because we are attempting to prevent a MHA, we will be looking for a reduction in the frequency and intensity of migraines.  These factors will influence how frequent your treatment will be and how long the initial trial will last.

To learn more about acupuncture and our other services, please call us or visit our website, www.integratedchiro.net . 


   

The Return of the Blog!

After a lengthy absence, the Integrated Chiropractic Rehab blog has returned! I hope to be more regular with my posts and stimulate some real interest in its content.

The blog will be a place where I post information relating to health issues, but you should not take this as me providing advice to you, the reader, specifically.  If you have a health related question, you are encouraged to contact me or another health care provider.  Each person is unique, so the information contained in the blog should be viewed in that context.

Be sure to check our website, www.integratedchiro.net for updated information on office hours, services, and health tips!

Take care, and the best of health to you and yours!

Dr. Powell