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!

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!

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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!