This was (almost) a great weight loss story...

I had high hopes when I read the story of a couple of identical twin MDs who went on polar opposite weight loss diets: One went low fat (no more than 2% of his daily intake!!) and the other went low carb.  Here's the link to the story as it appeared on Yahoo:

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/twin-brothers-act-guinea-pigs-sugar-v-fat-190600102.html

Ostensibly, you would think this was a great idea:  Identical twins eliminates the genetic issue, and they're MD's, so they should have approached this scientifically (please note I did watch the video clip but have not seen the documentary as of the date of this posting.)

If you read the story, please note two things:

• The low carb guy lost the most weight (9 pounds in a month)
• They never said if the low fat guy lost any weight at all

Furthermore, the story tells of the low carb guy going into ketosis, and a "nutrition expert" saying that ketosis is dangerous and can cause kidney failure.  Ketosis occurs when fat is metabolized, because the waste products of fat metabolism are water and chemicals called ketones.  Let me clarify things for you:

• Benign ketosis is required for fat loss (no ketosis = no fat loss)
• The ketosis caused by fat loss will not damage your kidneys
• Fat loss ketosis is not the same as diabetic ketoacidosis, which is damaging to the body

On even the most severely carb restricted diet, ketone levels are between 5 and 20 mg/dl, as opposed to levels of 200+mg/dl that occur in diabetic ketoacidosis.  A low carb diet is not going to damage your kidneys.  

Also, the story makes a point of saying that the low carb guy was constipated and tired.  Well, that is a short term situation that could have been managed or avoided if he consulted the works of his late colleague, Dr. Robert Atkins.  This is a normal occurrence for people who go on low-carb weight loss programs.  Typically, it's referred to as the Atkins Flu.  You can wait it out, or you can drink more water and add a little salt to your food to fight these symptoms and the "brain fog" that may also occur.  It hardly lasts more than a day or two in most circumstances. I can tell you that had Doctor followed the recommendations in "The New Atkins for a New You," which recommends foundation vegetables for fiber and high nutrient content, it is highly unlikely he would have experienced these symptoms.

At least this story admitted that the low carb diet produced the most weight loss, but it did so while subtly demonizing the method by pointing out some of its short term discomforts (fatigue, constipation).  Ask yourself this: Is a day or two of constipation and fatigue better than constant gnawing hunger (as described by the low fat guy)?  I bet the low fat guy lost little, if any weight.  I wonder if they'll mention it in the documentary.  I'll be sure to post!  Meanwhile, if you're interested in the TRUTH about fat/weight loss, click on this link to a fantastic book by Gary Taubes!

It's COLD...but we're OPEN!!

Extreme temperatures are making it dangerous for some to travel, in fact even some of us have been stranded or near-stranded because of it.  We are open today (January 27, 2014) and tomorrow (January 28, 2014) to serve you, but please do not take any unnecessary risks traveling in this weather!

Weight Loss Seminar Rescheduled!

Hello everyone! We trust you had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to an exciting and healthy 2014.

The Weight Loss seminar scheduled for this evening has been rescheduled to next Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at 6pm.  The office is open today, but the roads are treacherous and most people are still home because of the weather.  Hopefully next week will be better!

If you are unable to attend, email me at info@integratedchiro.net for a copy of the PowerPoint presentation!