The Metabolism Miracle Blog-2010

September 1, 2010….Weight Watchers Job Discrimination based on Bogus BMI…….

Please take a few minutes and read the article linked below regarding a woman who lost 118# (with the help of Weight Watchers), is healthy, looks great, feels great, is a teacher by profession, was having a wonderful interview, but was not considered for a “teaching the trainer” job because of her current BMI.  She gave the telephone interviewer (after asking if that question was even legal) her height and weight and the interviewer promptly ended the interview.  The kicker?  This woman was now a healthy, happy size 12!  http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/08/31/weight-watchers-biased/?ncid=webmail

The purpose of this blog entry is to expose the reality of BMI.  Years ago, physicians used the Metropolitan Life Insurance Weight Charts to determine if you were at a healthy weight.  These charts were based on the weight range in which a person was least likely to have a weight- related health claim. There were separate charts for men and women.  You remember them…If you were 5’5” and a female…you should weigh 125#.  If you were 5’5” and a male, you should weigh 136#.  It didn’t matter that the 5’5” tall person was out of shape, never exercised,  and his weight was mainly made up of fat tissue,  or that he ate eat horrifically, had high cholesterol, triglycerides, hypertension, diabetes and very regularly drank alcohol and smoked cigarettes.  He was a medical mess.  But, his gravitational pull on a scale (his weight) pronounced him at a healthy weight.

Time passed.  Not so long ago, weight charts quietly disappeared.  The replacement?  The more scientific -sounding BMI (body mass index).  Body mass index plots height against weight.  Period.  Most people do not realize there are no separate BMI charts for men and women, for young and old, for frame size, for body composition….it’s just height and weight.

Example:  2 people using the same BMI formula:

Person 1 is a 21 year old male college athlete who trains year round, has very low body fat percentage,  medium frame and is 5’7”, 165#.   He has a clean bill of health and takes no medications. His BMI is: 25.9.  He is OVERWEIGHT based on his BMI.

Person 2 is a 64 year old female retired teacher who is sedentary, has a high body fat percentage, small frame and is 5’7”, 165#.  She has a history of arthritis, hypertension, high cholesterol, chronic fatigue and takes medications to keep her labwork in normal limits. She is a smoker. Her BMI is: 25.9.  She is equally OVERWEIGHT based on her BMI.

Can you believe this?  Well, believe it….this is all BMI is based on….height and weight…..nothing else.   Please don’t get sucked into the dark hole of believing  that youare healthy or  not, overweight or not based on BMI.

What is your ideal body weight?  The weight at which you feel great, all of your labwork is normal on as little medication as possible, and you love the way you look.  This covers it all…..you have energy to enjoy your life, YOU love the way you look, and you are healthy. 

Linae, you deserve much better and I congratulate you on taking charge of your health and life and getting into such wonderful condition!  All the best in searching for the company that will appreciate a person with your focus, drive, and determination! 

August 29, 2010.  Thank you Bobby Flay and Parade Magazine for helping to fuel the childhood obesity epidemic!!!   No wonder our children are getting heavier!

All I wanted to do was have a relaxing breakfast on a Sunday morning.  I opened Parade Magazine, a section of my Sunday newspaper and saw recipes by Bobby Flay.  The title:  Start the Year Right with….Back-To-School Breakfasts. 

Mr. Flay developed 3 recipes for our children. 

1.  Eggs, bacon,  hash browns quesadilla

2.  Peanut-Butter French Toast ‘Waffles” with Mixed Berry Sauce

3.  Apple-Pie Oatmeal with Brulee’d Crust

Yep, there they are.  So, I allow my eyes to travel to the Nutrition Facts for each "healthy" recipe. 

Choice #1 : 660 calories, 58 grams total carb, 5 grams fiber  (53 grams net carb/serving!!!)

Choice #2: 460 calories, 65 grams total carb, 8 grams fiber, ( 57 grams net carb/serving!!!)

Choice #3: 580 calories, 107 grams total carb, 10 grams fiber, (97 grams net carb/serving!!!)

Remember that there is no beverage with these choices.  If we add 8 ounces of low fat milk,  we need to add 12 more grams of net carb to each total. 

63 grams/67 grams/ 109 grams net carb. 

So much for my relaxed breakfast.  I actually felt my stomach tighten into a knot.  Over 50% of our children have the genetic predisposition to Metabolism B (metabolic syndrome) and these breakfasts are suggested as healthy choices?  Can you even imagine the insulin release after a breakfast like this?  The kids will be gaining plenty of fat around their middle, in their arteries, and falling asleep in class by 9:30AM.  This kind of breakfast will decrease their ability to focus, concentrate, cause mild depression/anxiety, irritability, exacerbate ADD/ADHD as well as contribute to excessive fat anabolism.

 When will the media, medical associations, and White House acknowledge that millions of people (including children) have Metabolism B, it affects their weight and health, and it is our responsibility to teach our children to eat correctly to keep their metabolism functioning properly?

I am going to list 10 breakfasts that would be great for your children……please give them a try as there’s bound to be something there that your kids will eat.  Don’t let them skip breakfast.  Breakfast means “break the fast.”  If they leave the house without eating, their liver will be responsible for feeding them (with glycogen stores) until they eat at lunch.  By this time, all this glycogen release will cause an  insulin release similar the over-abundant insulin release that will occur as the result of consuming  Bobby Flay's healthy breakfast recipes!

Breakfast #1

2 Scrambled eggs or egg whites with chopped ham and shredded low fat cheddar

1 light multigrain English Muffin with a spread of whipped butter

8 ounces 1 % milk

29 grams net carb, whole grain, 25 grams protein

Breakfast #2

1 cup low fat Greek Yogurt

½ tsp honey

½ cup sliced strawberries

¼ cup chopped nuts

20 grams net carb, 25 grams protein

Breakfast #3

2  multigrain waffles

2 Tbls natural peanut butter

2 tsp sugar free jelly with fiber

8 ounces 1% milk

34 grams net carb, 18 grams protein

Breakfast #4

1 cup Kashi  Honey Sunshine Cereal

1 cup organic unsweetened soy milk

½  cup blueberries

33 grams net carb,  11 grams protein

Breakfast #5

Grilled cheese made with 2 slices lite whole grain bread

2 ounces 2% milk fat American Cheese

Whipped butter

Sliced tomato

1 cup 1% milk

27 grams net carb,  22 grams protein

Breakfast #6

Smoothie made with ½ cup plain yogurt, ½ cup 1% milk, 1 peach, ¼ tsp vanilla extract,1/2tsp honey,  1 scoop whey protein powder….blended

32  grams net carb, 31 grams protein

Breakfast #7

1 cup cooked oatmeal

¼ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp vanilla extract,  ½ tsp honey, ¼ cup chopped walnuts,

EAS low carb Protein shake

34 grams net carb, 25 grams protein

Breakfast #8

2 Mission Low carb tortillas sprinkled with 2-3 shredded low fat cheddar and chopped tomato

Microwave until cheese melts and roll like quesadilla

8 ounces 1% milk

22 grams net carb, 22 grams protein

Breakfast #9

1 cup cottage cheese or ricotta cheese topped with ¼ cup sliced strawberries, ¼ cup blueberries,  ½ banana, ½ cup melon cubes, chopped walnuts

30 grams net carb, 25 grams protein

Breakfast #10

French toast made with 2 slices light whole grain bread

1 egg, beaten with ¼ tsp vanilla and dash of cinnamon, salt

Walden farms sugar free syrup

8 ounces 1% milk

27 grams net carb, 20 grams protein

August 27, 2010....Low Carb Summertime Cocktails.....YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Lots of sunshine and heat predicted for the Jersey coastline for the next week and I’ve got summertime cocktails on my mind! ( Guess I’m trying to hang on to the summertime vibe)…..I wanted to give you some low carb ideas for 2 of my favorite cocktails: Cosmopolitans and Margaritas!

Just a reminder that the liquor used in these drinks begins as a carbohydrate, but distillation changes its chemical composition to metabolize as a “fat” does.  As a result, the vodka or tequila does not cause a significant rise in blood sugar or release of insulin.  If you are on Step 1, remember that your liver is resting and will be slower to process alcohol…you will get tipsy quite quickly!!!!  Go slowwwwwwwwwww.   Also, check with your physician regarding alcohol intake regarding your specific medical conditions or medications.

Cheers!

Low Carb Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan cocktails traditionally contain a lot of sugar from the cranberry juice, triple sec, and added sugar.  There are usually over 20 grams of very high impact carb in one small cosmo…. imagine the carb grams in a large drink!  Here's a way to make it low in sugar and carbs without sacrificing flavor.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

·         1 jigger (1.5 oz or 3 tablespoons) Citron vodka or regular vodka (nutritional analysis uses 80 proof)

·         ¼ cup Diet Cranberry Juice (has only .5 grams carbohydrate/1/4 cup)

·         1 tablespoon lime juice (fresh preferred)

·         2 to 3 drops orange extract

·         1 packet sucralose

·         Handful of ice

Preparation:

Put the ingredients in a cocktail shaker half-full of ice. Shake well. Taste for sweetness. Strain into a Martini glass. Garnish with a small lime

Low Carb Margarita

Margaritas are also very high in sugar from the triple sec or cointreau (orange liquers with 16+ grams carb/1.5 ounces).  Imagine how much sugar you're getting in one of those jumbo margaritas!

 Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

·         1 jigger (1.5 oz) tequila (80 proof)

·         2 Tablespoons (1 oz) lime juice - fresh preferred

·         1/4 cup diet orange soda or (1/4 cup water and 1/4 tsp orange extract)

·         1 packet sucralose

·         Handful of ice

·         Margarita salt or kosher salt

Preparation:

Wet the rim of the glass and dip into a small plate of salt.

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake it up, taste for sweetness and either pour into your glass with the ice or shake and strain into a glass. Serve with a garnish of an orange slice.

August 20, 2010...Jicama?  Yes, jicama.....also known as yam bean, the Mexican potato, the Chinese turnip!  It's a new entry to the neutral veggie list!

Consider adding jicama to the neutral veggie list of The Metabolism Miracle.  It is a crispy, sweetish root-like legume that resembles a turnip in appearance.  It grows on vines close to the ground and is quite popular in Mexican and South American cuisine.   Before eating, peel off the coarse brown outer layer to reveal the white inside. 

Jicama is often served raw on veggie platters, in salads, and cut into thin wedges and served with salsa.  It is delicious when sprinkled with lime juice and chili powder.  It does not discolor when exposed to the open air. When jicama is used in cooking it tends to take on the flavors of the ingredients that it is being combined with. Therefore, jicama is a nice complement to various stir-fry dishes because it blends well with many vegetables and seasonings. It is also used as a replacement for water chestnuts and in soups. 

Jicama is very high in fiber and water content.  It is a good source of Vitamin C and potassium.  A 1 cup serving is considered neutral on all Steps of MM.

When selecting jicama, look for a size smaller than the size of 2 fists…larger jicama will be less sweet and more woody in flavor. Use only the root--, the remainder of the jícama plant is considered poisonous as the seeds contain rotenone (toxic substance).

Once sliced, keep the jicama root in a plastic storage bag in your refrigerator where it should stay fresh for about two weeks. Fresh whole roots should be stored in a dry place, no colder than 53 to 60 degrees F, where they'll keep for a month or two.

August 12. 2010....Dr. Oz, "Reversing Heart Disease," and Liquid Plumber.....

I was working on a project in my home office this morning.  The Dr. Oz show was background noise on the television outside my office door.  I felt compelled to stop working and write this entry before someone makes a grave error regarding their health for the sake of sensationalism and high television ratings

I am not targeting Dr. Oz but I am an advocate for the people when it comes to health care.  Dr. Oz’s program today was titled “Reversing Heart Disease” and the message was dangerously false.

It is physiologically impossible to reverse the plaque already formed and blocking your blood vessels through changes in diet and exercise.  A person cannot dissolve a blockage in his or her arteries if it already exists.  Dr. Oz used a visual today that looked like a blocked drain and then he showed the blockage being flushed away as he claimed that you can “flush away the blockage” by changing your diet and exercise.

Not even medication can do this.  Even powerful statins used to decrease elevated circulating cholesterol cannot “eat away” or “flush away” plaque.   If a person has a 40% or 60% or 80% blockage, the cardiologist may recommend a  bypass, balloon angiography,  stent placement…to either bypass or mechanically open up the blocked vessel.

So…first things first….if you have a blockage and your cardiologist (and second opinion if possible) recommends bypass or stent….the blockage is significant enough to be a danger to your health and life.

Once the blockage is bypassed or opened, a person should absolutely begin the lifestyle that will PREVENT FUTURE blockages, or the problem will return!  Most of us have heard of people who have had heart surgery and then, in the future, have to have the procedure repeated.   They needed the surgery or procedure to take care of the immediate and urgent risk to heart attack or stroke, but, without dietary and exercise lifestyle changes……they will simply reblock.

The coup de grace today was the diet that Dr. Oz said would reverse heart disease.   Sit down for this one:  70-75% complex carb, 15-20% very lean protein, and 10% fat.  He showed what a sample lunch would be….it was a plate of lettuce and a fat free dressing.  Seriously.  He then had a woman as a guest who said she “reversed” her heart disease by having snacks like a granola bar and banana (at the same time) and a lunch of rice, a small piece of protein, a roll, fruit OR a salad with legumes and raspberry dressing (no fat….just carb).   Dr. Oz chimed in….you can have as much fruit as you want.  Perhaps someone should tell him that fruit does not represent complex carbohydrate and is 100% carb? 

Over 50% of overweight people have the genes for excess insulin release (a fat gain hormone).  If the millions of people who have metabolic syndrome (metabolism B) consume 75% of their calories from carbohydrate, they will methodically reblock their surgically corrected vessels, as well as other vessels.  Dr. Oz’s  diet prescription is a recipe for high cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and belly fat for millions of unsuspecting people. 

So….he’s 2 for 2 on the days I’ve caught his show.  There is no way to cure or reverse type 2 diabetes and there is no way to reverse plaque build -up in blood vessels.  You can influence your blood sugar and control your diabetes, but it will not “go away.”  You can help stop future blockage by following MM (maintenance is about 33% carb, 33% lean protein, 33% heart healthy fat), but you can’t reverse plaque that already exists.  Thems the facts!  Might not be sensational, might not help TV ratings, but can save lives! 

By the way, the first commercial that aired after the segment on reversing heart disease on the Dr. Oz show:    Liquid Plumber.  I can’t make this stuff up………..Diane

August 10, 2010…..Suggestions for Ramadan

Ramadan is the holiest of Islamic holidays.  During the 9^th month of the Muslim year, all participating Muslims maintain a month of

 fasting from dawn to sunset.  Several readers asked about the best way to keep their Metabolism B under control and still uphold their religious practice of Ramadan.

The safest way to practice the month of fasting is to be in Step 1 of The Metabolism Miracle.  After three days, the liver and muscles will have released stored glycogen, and your pancreas and liver will go into the “rest/detox” mode.  When you do begin to eat after sundown, eat liberally of your neutral foods.  You can also put a 5 gram choice at dinner, right before bed, and in the middle of the night (before sunrise) if you are awake.   Make sure to adequately hydrate during this time.  Water does not have to be spaced throughout the day, so you can make sure to take in close to 48 ounces of water or decaf fluid from sundown to dawn.   You can also take your vitamins after dinner  and at bedtime with a snack.

On the last day of the fast, when the feast occurs……..dietary “mistakes” that occur in a 5 hour block will add 3 days to Step 1 before you advance to Step 2. 

The elderly and chronically ill are exempt from fasting, although they are encouraged to feed the poor in place of their missed fasting.

 August 9, 2010....Quick and Healthy Breakfast in one pan…ready to eat in less than 10 minutes and YUMMY.

I’ve interviewed people regarding their food intake for close to 30 years.  Of the 3 main meals, the one meal that is most often in a “rut” is breakfast.

  People give a variety of reasons for choosing the “same ole, same ole” for their first meal….”I’m just not hungry within an hour of waking up”, “I don’t mentally wake up until lunchtime and can’t bother fussing  with food in the  morning”, “I’m so rushed, I just need to throw something down the chute and move on with the day”. 

Those of us with Metabolism B realize the importance of our first meal.  It’s very important that we eat, whether it is a snack or a meal, within 1 hour of wake up.  (The choices vary depending on the Step of MM that we are living in). 

1. Breakfast  is the meal that turns OFF the over-generous liver so you can be in charge of your insulin and blood sugar.
2.  Breakfast is the meal that will change up your metabolic rate from sleep mode to awake mode.
3. The first meal will feed your brain its preferred fuel source, the right amount of carbohydrate.
4. Keeping your meals/snacks coming within 5 hours of each other keeps the wear and tear on your pancreas and liver to a minimum…and puts YOU in control.
5. Smooth blood sugar curves, instead of sharp peaks and valleys, promotes weight loss and 24/7 quality of life in terms of energy, focus/concentration, mood.

Like everyone else, I get in a “rut” with my breakfast choices.  Today, I’m working from home and I thought….French Toast!  Yep, that’s what I thought.  Smiling.  Here’s how I made it, and a substantial, delicious breakfast in one pan that was top notch for health and really, really good!

Spray a skillet with olive oil cooking spray and place over medium heat

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together ½ cup egg whites, 2 Tbls of half and half, and a little salt (cinnamon and Splenda or Stevia can be added if desired) until aerated

Dip a Sandwich Thin , Deli Flat, or the right amount of lite bread for your Step in the egg mixture, coating all sides until well coated.

When the skillet is warm, place the bread product in the skillet and lightly brown on one side before flipping to the other side. 

Place the golden brown “toast” on a plate.

I then took the remaining egg white/cream mixture and poured it into the hot skillet.  I added some fresh ground pepper, diced tomato, and shredded lite cheddar cheese and scrambled the excess egg mixture into fluffy delicious eggs as a “side” for the French toast.

I used Walden Farms zero calorie syrup, added a cup of coffee, and had a really great breakfast made in one pan in no time flat!  Diane

August 4, 2010....To Snack or Not to Snack, That is The Question!

 My girlfriend is not sure if she has Met A (textbook metabolism) or Met B (the genes for metabolic syndrome).  We both want to lose weight.  She refuses to snack and I know I need to....how should I advise her? 

Great question.  While estimates show that over 50% of overweight people have the gene for the progressive compilation of health woes dubbed metabolic syndrome, many many people are unaware that they carry this predispositon. If a woman has Met B, she MUST follow the  meal/snack timing rules to lose weight and keep it off:

Eat within 1 hour of waking up (meal or snack)

Have a snack within 1 hour of going to bed

No gaps of over 5 hours without eating during the day

It is even advantageous to eat a snack in the middle of the night

The purpose of this "timing" of food for the millions of people with Met B?...it prevents the liver from over-releasing glycogen ( the survival mechanism that naturally occurs when food intake lapses by more than 5 hours) that would cause the Met B's pancreas to over-release the fat gain hormone insulin.  In fact, those with the gene for Met B can GAIN weight whenever they skip a meal or snack AND if they sleep through the night without snacking (because it's more than 5 hours til they eat again).

Let's look at the typical day of your friend (the one who doesn't know if she's got Met A or Met B)

Wake up at 7:00AM...Grab a coffee and catch the train to work

9:00AM more coffee

9-noon = meetings

1:00PM = lunch

7:00PM = dinner

no snack...collapse and fall asleep until you wake up at 7:00AM

On paper, it appears as if  this woman eats 2 meals/day (lunch and dinner).  If she counted the calories she consumed at those two meals, they would easily be within her 1400 calorie allotment....with room to spare.  This might be a crazy, busy day, but would not cause a weight gain for someone with normal metabolism/ Met A) because when her liver would turn on at the 5 hour mark, it would release a normal amount of  glycogen and ....her pancreas would release the right amount of insulin.  Status quo.

Now, look at the same day from the unsuspecting Met B's persepective:

The last meal she ate was  7 PM the night before.  So....at midnight, her liver released the equivalent of a NYC bagel in glycogen (and she over-released insulin).  At 5AM her liver did it again (and she over released insulin).  At 10AM her liver did it again (and she over-released insulin).  At 1PM she ate lunch (and over released insulin).  At 6PM her liver did it again and she over-released insulin), At 7PM she had dinner ( and she over released insulin).

What looks on "paper" like 2 meals is really 6 meals, the two she consumed, and six of high carb content from her liver with over insulin release.  She is a goner!

Now, the problemo is that this woman (at this time) doesn't know if she has Met A or Met B.  How can she be sure to lose weight if she doesn't know?  Since it doesn't matter to the A whether she eats within 5 hours or not, as her body's hormonal balance is in check...she can "take or leave snacks" as long as she sticks to her actual calories.  The Met B woman is "toast" if she skips her snacks as her liver will over compensate AND her pancreas will overcompensate.

Until the world is acclimated to ascertaining Met A/ Met B...it makes sense to advise snacking for everyone as it hurts no one.....and helps over 50% of overweight dieters. The Met A woman would keep her calories in check with meals/snacks and the Met B woman would keep their liver/pancreas at bay with no gaps of over 5 hours

How should the day look for either of these women?

Wake up at 7:00

Have a snack or breakfast by 8:00AM

Lunch at 1PM

Snack at 4PM

Dinner at 7PM

Bedtime snack at 10PM (on your way from the couch to bed!)

Middle of the night get up to pee, take a quick snack at 3AM

That's the story!  It is factual, based on science, anatomy/physiology, and results.  If the millions of Met B women don't know this, they will get progressively fatter, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood sugar, depression/anxiety, chronic fatigue, inability to focus/concentrate, poor short term memory......in short....they become the perfect long term, chronically ill, medication dependent "customers" .  I hope this makes sense.  It makes NO sense not to snack!  Interesting, yes?  Diane 

August 1, 2010....Do Calcium Supplements Cause Heart Attacks in Post Menopausal Women??????  Should I Stop Taking My Calcium?  

Oh my.  Let me start by saying that I NEVER reference the outcome of a diet- related health study without reading it myself.  I try and check who funded the research, check the sample size and duration of the study, and read the actual findings. 

Newspapers and news programs report controversial headlines called  a “hook”  (this sells papers and gets us to watch the evening news)  while underplaying or not even mentioning the actual study outcomes and what it all means to the public.   As a result, we “hear” one thing, trust its validity, and can be making very costly health related decisions based on half- truths or misinformation. 

On July 29, the news proclaimed that postmenopausal women taking calcium supplements could be putting themselves at increased risk of a heart attack.  I know that this information caused thousands of women to stop taking their calcium supplement and to question what they had been told about the need for calcium to prevent or minimize osteoporosis.

As soon as I heard the news, I knew that something had to be “off” with the reporting of this study’s results and so I checked it out myself.  If you are interested in reading the study results, check out the following link:  www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/341/jul29_1/c3691.  As with all research study reports, it is cumbersome and technical to read, but, the results are clear as a bell. 

I will try to be brief and to the point.  The study did not include calcium supplements with Vitamin D.  The study included straight calcium supplements without Vitamin D.  This is a major point that will become crystal clear as your read on.  Please take a calcium supplement with vitamin D.  The Metabolism Miracle suggests taking two 500-600mg calcium/day with 200 IU Vitamin D per tab.  This is the way most over the counter calcium with Vitamin D supplements are packaged, so it’s easy to find.  Remember to take them at 2 separate meals as your body can only absorb 600mg calcium at a time.

Now, back to the story: Years ago, it seemed as if elderly, frail, thin women (often with a hump on their upper back and walking in a bent gait) were those who had the diagnosis of osteoporosis.  They attributed their “hollow bones” to not drinking enough milk.  That was then…this is now.

In the past ten years or so, women over the age of 50 have been encouraged to have a bone density test….seemingly to find osteoporosis at an earlier age, correct it with calcium/Vitamin D supplementation, and hopefully prevent problems in their future.  Oddly, when this population began having bone density studies, it turned out that many women (many who were overweight) had low bone density test scores.  As a result, the medical community began to formulate drugs like Boniva and Actonel to “strengthen” the bones of these women prone to osteoporosis. Unfortunately, these drugs came with a very high price tags and the possibility of major side effects.  They were also a band-aid and not a cure.

Very recently, your physician probably added a Vitamin D level to your annual physical exam’s lab work.  The theory must have been to find out why 50 year olds already had low bone density (osteopenia)…maybe we could “catch it even sooner.”  Guess what?  Hundreds of thousands of people are now being told they have low Vitamin D levels and are being prescribed Vitamin D supplements.

So…..to recap.  Bone density tests show that many people other than frail elderly women have osteoporosis, or its predecessor, osteopenia.  As a result, post menopausal women are routinely advised to take calcium with Vitamin D.  Looking deeper and looking at people years before their first bone density test, hundreds of thousands of people are learning that they have low serum Vitamin D.  Now, prescriptions for Boniva, Actonel, and Vitamin D supplements are common place.

 In the midst of this, on July 29, study results are reported that women taking calcium are increasing their risk for heart attacks.  What’s a person to do?  Remember…the study did not follow women taking Calcium WITH Vitamin D.  They purposely excluded anyone taking calcium with Vitamin D.  The study only followed people taking Calcium supplements in and of themselves!!!???!?!?!?!?!

Now, something very interesting:  85% of people I see at my office for weight loss who have Metabolism B (the genetic predisposition to metabolic syndrome) have low Vitamin D.  85% of uncontrolled Met B patients have low Vitamin D!!!!  These are the same people who would end up with osteopenia, osteoporosis in the future.  Now, we are getting somewhere. 

Did you know that Vitamin D is a hormone?  Did you know that insulin is a hormone?  Did you know that osteoporosis is often treated by an endocrinologist (and bone densities are done at many endocrinologist offices)?  This is because low Vitamin D, over release of insulin, osteopenia, osteoporosis, and low/high serum calcium is treated by an ENDOCRINOLOGIST because they are all hormonal maladies!  Yep….I am saying that osteoporosis’ root is in hormones and mainly the hormone INSULIN.

Low Vitamin D levels are not caused by low Vitamin D intake or less exposure to the sun.  Osteoporosis is not solely caused by low calcium intake.  What is causing your low Vitamin D?  What is causing your osteopenia, osteoporosis, heart attacks, and strokes?  UNCONTROLLED MET B.

If you never learn that your low Vitamin D, osteopenia, osteoporosis, hardening of blood vessels, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, poor circulation, increased cholesterol, increased triglycerides, increased blood pressure, increase vascular inflammation is due to insulin imbalance…..you WILL need to take prescription Vitamin D, Actonel or Boniva, medication to lower cholesterol, triglycerides, blood  pressure, blood sugar.  You will have a 50% greater chance of heart attack, stroke.  You will be sick in the future.

If we keep band-aiding the results of hyperinsulinism with medications, but never get to the root of all these problems…hormonal imbalance of insulin……WE WILL NEVER GET HEALTHY and we will get sicker on more and more medications.

I guess something good did come from this controversial reporting…….I had a reason to write this blog.  Please learn to read behind the headlines and please continue to read this blog for the whole story.  Let’s take care of each other…….stay truly informed…….and make decisions based on the whole story.  Diane

 July 31, 2010....Brand New Wing recipe.....It's not what you think!

No, this is not a new appetizer recipe!  This article is the recipe for toning up “wings”…. the loose skin that dangles and dances under your arms after you lose a substantial amount of weight.  They make it uncomfortable to wear the new sleeveless fashions, and make you self conscious to raise your arms in public. 

Let’s start by noting that the biggest chance for the appearance of underarm wings is after a large WEIGHT loss.  Never forget that weight loss is not necessarily fat loss.  Weight loss is a combination of the loss of water weight, muscle loss, and fat loss.  As soon as someone asks me what to do for their batwings, I remind them of 2 things: The  Metabolism Miracle is not a weight loss program; it is a fat loss program.  As such, if you are living the lifestyle correctly, Steps 1 and 2 promote the loss of FAT, and preserve muscle tissue and water balance.  So…….I look at the person and say….”I bet you have not increased your physical activity by a minimum of 30 minutes, 5 days/week and I bet you are not drinking sufficient water or decaf fluid.”  In most cases, I hear….”How did you know that?”  (and how the heck does this relate to underarm wings?)

When you follow a fat burning diet program AND exercise with adequate water, your body will focus on using fat tissue for fuel and allow your skin to be moisturized from the inside.  Exercise and fluids help prevent that crepe-y skin and flappy, loose tissue.

When you follow a fat burning program and do not exercise, your body will use both fat AND muscle for energy.  When your body consumes valuable muscle as fuel, the entire body loses tone.  When your body loses tone, it sags.

 When you follow a fat burning program and don’t drink enough water or decaf fluid, your tissues are forced to “wring out” fluid from the tissues into the blood to keep the blood’s PH balance correct.  As a result, your tissues get dry and lose their elasticity. 

Inadequate exercise and inadequate water = sagging shape, no tone, dry and inelastic skin.  AKA: The proliferation of WINGS!

So…….first things first.  Start moving your muscles and drinking lots of fluid right through the MM process.  You will retain all your muscle tone and have moisturized, hydrated, glowing skin.

Next; incorporate light toning exercise to your regimen.  I use 3 pound weights (I’m not looking to develop muscle; I want to retain its shape, tone, and calorie burning capability).  The idea is to lift light weight with many repetitions.  A great idea is this:  During a 1 hour television program, there are about 15 minutes of commercials.  Every time a commercial comes on, pick up your light weight and begin lifting.  Commercial over; weight down….commercials back on; lift.  At the end of just 1 hour, you have toned your upper arm muscles for 15 minutes……a 2 hour movie gives you ½ hour of light- lifting.  You can accomplish this even if you are wheel chair bound or need arm chair exercises.  It works!

Outer moisturizing:  I recommend that everyone, men and women, moisturize their skin daily after showering.  You can use old school moisturizer like cocoa butter, unscented Nivea crème,  allergy free Neutrogena products or deliciously fragranced moisturizers from Bath and Body Works…..doesn’t  matter what you choose, just do it!  The water you drink hydrates from within, the moisturizer you apply all over your body when it’s slightly damp after a shower locks hydration on the outside.  You want to promote hydrated, soft, smooth, elastic, toned skin.

Then….don’t forget those vitamins.  B vitamins are terrific for skin and nails.  Vitamins A and E are also wonderful for tissue repair.  Vitamin C is wonderful for rebuilding connective tissue. The multivitamins/minerals you take on a daily basis give your body extra insurance that you are providing everything you need for a body in balance and equilibrium.

Sleep…..remember hearing “You need to get your beauty sleep.”  ?  It is during the sleep cycle that much of the the body’s repair and replacement of cells and tissues takes place.  Get as much sleep as possible to allow this rebuilding, refurbishing to take place

Relieve stress…..Stress is an inflammatory process in the body.  Emotional stress causes physical stress on all the body systems.  Take time to mentally relax at the beginning and end of the day, use exercise as a means to “burn off” stress hormones, listen to your favorite music, smell your favorite scents, indulge your senses……and see how beautifully your body  responds.  You have to “love” yourself!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe for toning wings…. I promise it’s not part of the upcoming Cookbook!!!!

 July 26, 2010.....Dear Dr. Oz

I hadn’t intended to blog today. I am in the middle of many projects and am working from my home office.  This morning I heard Dr. Oz’s voice coming from a nearby television.    I “tuned in” when he stated that 3 young women (they will be known as “The Healthy Housewives from Oz”) would be working with him to lose 2 dress sizes by the holidays.  He literally put them in the spotlight, posted their weight, clothes size, BMI, waist size, and one of the women’s blood pressure.   He stated that they all had low Vitamin D levels.  They told him that they felt powerless around carbohydrate.  He read one of their food diaries aloud and it included potatoes,  cornbread, rice, corn, gravy, dessert, sweet drinks.  Instead of focusing on the fact that EVERY item mentioned on the food log was carbohydrate, he focused on the total number of calories these 3 women consumed (together) in one day.  I guess that was for shock value.  He told them that they craved carb because the food they chose didn’t supply enough nutrition and their brain made them hungry in an effort for them to supply more vitamins/minerals?!?!?!

Enough.  I can’t take it anymore. The one fact Dr. Oz failed to mention is that each of these friends has uncontrolled metabolic syndrome (or Metabolism B).  They have all gained a tremendous amount of weight, have midline fat, crave carbs,  and have Vitamin D deficiency.  I guarantee that their fasting lab work would objectively show Met B in their  glucose, lipid panel, hemoglobin A1C, fasting insulin level,  Vitamin D, perhaps TSH. They would all suffer from most of the following subclinical symptoms of Met B: fatigue, carb cravings, midline fat, mild depression, irritability, afternoon energy slump, night driving haze, light sensitivity, easy weight gain, difficult weight loss, low libido, occasional dizziness, feeling of facial flushing when they drink alcohol.  They would also have a family history of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, ADD/ADHD, osteoporosis, estrogen based breast cancer, PCOS, etc.

What frightens me the most?  The type of diet Dr. Oz is going to promote for these women will  further the progression of their Met B. 

Unfortunately, having an MD after your name is perceived as having a wealth of information on all topics related to the human body.  (Remember that MD means doctor of medicine).  There is almost no focus on nutrition in medical school.  Although MD’s can prescribe medication to “treat” your medical condition, they are NOT the right people to see regarding diet and nutrition.

Dr. Oz is no exception.  He deals with many topics on his program using his MD experience and knowledge.  When he crosses the line to deliver diet information, he can be making a mistake with dire consequences.

In medical school, the same theory on weight reduction that has been taught forever:  Weight is a product of calories in – calories out.  If you want to lose weight, eat fewer calories and move more.  This would make sense if everyone’s metabolism was working properly.  Guess what?  Over 50% of overweight people  have metabolisms that are not ‘textbook’ and don’t abide by the “calories in/calories out” rule.

Dr. Oz appears to have textbook metabolism.  He has an easy time maintaining his slim, trim physique.  If he gains 5 pounds, he can cut down on portion size and do a little more cardio and “poof” the pounds are gone.  People with textbook metabolism cannot understand why so many people can’t get it together with weight loss.  “Just zip your lip and move your butt”….r-i-g-h-t.

I have Metabolism B.  I am a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator with close to 30 years of experience specializing in weight reduction.  I’m here to tell you that a 1200-1400 calorie, low fat, low cholesterol diet (recommended by the ADA) with exercise 5x/week caused my health woes.  In fact, as the years progressed, I gained weight around the middle, developed hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and eventually type 2 diabetes all the while following the plan to a “T”.  What I didn’t have the benefit of knowing is that there are two very different metabolic types and I was following a diet plan engineered for textbook metabolism.  In my late 30’s, I took two medications for diabetes, one for cholesterol, one for hypertension, and was 30 pounds heavier….all the while on the perfect diet.  I should also mention that I felt terrible; no energy, depressed, carb cravings, etc.

Fast forward to “years later” (smiling…..as I try to disguise my age)….I take no medication, am 30# lighter and maintain the loss, and I feel terrific.  Do I count calories?  NO.  Do I eat to match my Metabolism B? YES.

I have personally taught over 6000 people this plan that became The Metabolism Miracle last April.  It is now a New York Times Bestseller and is a top seller around the world.

Dr. Oz needs to read the book.  He needs to see the website: www.themetabolismmiracle.com.  He needs to have me on his program to discuss this very real issue.  And he needs to apologize to the three women who were on his program today and send them in the right direction.  He will help them reach and maintain a healthy weight,  improve their  24/7 quality of life, and save them from a future of medications and chronic illness.  Now, that’s good medicine! 

July 26, 2010....The Skinny on Snacking

As you know, The Metabolism Miracle is built around the mechanics of the healthy human body.  We are working with our body instead of against its natural ebb and flow. I am often interviewed by magazines regarding "general" diet questions/concerns outside the realm of MM.  I'll be speaking with someone regarding the role of snacking when trying to lose weight.  I thought I'd share my insights with my MM crew, and you'll catch a glimpse of MM's philosophy (the philosophy of a healthy body) in the explanation.  

Snacking will help keep your Metabolic Rate in the HIGH zone all day long:   

   Metabolism is all the processes that keep your body alive.  It accounts for most of your calorie requirement for the day.  Metabolism includes all the underlying organ functioning….brain processing, heart beating, lungs breathing,  intestines digesting, kidneys filtering, etc.  If your body’s metabolic rate is fueled throughout the day with no down time…it functions longer on the HIGH setting.  You will have more energy, your body will not function sluggishly, and your caloric burn will naturally be higher.

 Most people don’t realize that energy food (carbohydrate) has a 4-5 hour “lifespan.”  The carbohydrate you put in your “tank” at noon can only provide fuel for your metabolism until  5PM.  If you don’t snack between lunch and dinner , your lunch will only fuel your metabolism until 5 PM…but your dinner will not occur until 7PM.  In the hours between 5 and 7, your metabolism does not have a ready fuel source and goes into a LOW MODE….similar to the metabolic zone of sleep.   If you had lunch at noon, snacked at about 4, and had dinner at 7, your furnace would be stoked on the HIGH or awake zone all of those hours with no down time.

This 5 hour rule for food also applies to the evening.  If the last meal you eat at night starts at 7PM, and you don’t eat again until 9AM the next morning, your body’s metabolism will be on SLOW from 5 hours after dinner until you add “gas to the tank” at breakfast.  Let’s see how this plays out:

7PM’s dinner will last metabolically until about midnight.  From midnight until 9AM….9 hours  out of 24…more than 30% of your day….your body is running in SLOW MODE

If you had dinner at 7PM, took a night snack at 11 PM….your body would run in HIGH MODE until  4AM and would only be in SLOW MODE for 5 hours.

If you’re following this way of thinking, it might just be a positive move to have a small snack (glass of milk, light yogurt, ½ banana) in the middle of the night!  Sounds crazy, but it’s true!

Bedtime snack at 11PM, glass of milk at 4AM and breakfast at 9AM…..no SLOW MODE for metabolic fuel.

My mantra for those wanting to maximize calorie burn for weight loss:  Eat a fuel source within 1 hour of waking up, right before you go to bed, in the middle of the night if you get up, and don’t have more than 5 hours without eating throughout the day>  Meal/snack/meal/snack/meal/snack/snack works best!

When you add exercise on top of this metabolic HIGH MODE and you are really “cooking!”

Snacking will actually help with appetite control.

If you have gaps beyond 5 hours without eating, you will get signals from the brain and blood sugar levels to remind you to eat.  Ignore those signals, and your body slips into a preservative mode (SLOW ZONE) so eventually, your appetite fades.  But, as soon as you have something to eat; the feeling of hunger returns, but amplified, and you find yourself eating like crazy.  This is why people often say….I’m okay in the morning until I eat something, then I can’t stop eating.  If your fuel your body the way it naturally wants to be fed…no gaps of over 5 hours (even perhaps into the night) they wouldn’t stimulate the binge mechanism, you’ll avoid over-hunger, you will keep your metabolism stoked, and you will have energy and equilibrium all day/night long!

Ideal snacks?

              Should contain a quality carb source….medium to low glycemic index give you the most longevity (lasts longer than high glycemic index that shoots blood sugar high quickly, forcing insulin to usher it into the cells at a faster rate. 

              Add a little healthy protein to the carb component to smooth the blood sugar rise and provide some added longevity and satiety.

              Fiber is an added bonus, keeps you regular and helps you to feel full longer

              Nutritionally "nice":  Ideally, I'd look for a portion size that provides about 150/180 calories or less, carb amount between 11-20 grams

                   net carb grams, fat grams around 5 grams max and fiber grams of 2 grams or more.

Snack Suggestions (This fits our Steps 2 and 3)

• Glass of low fat milk
• Light yogurt with a few nuts
• Piece of fresh fruit/piece of light cheese or handful of nuts
• Whole grain crackers and light cheese or peanut butter
• Cup of multi grain cereal with low fat milk
• Slice of whole grain bread with peanut butter
• Whole grain pretzels with light cheese or PB
• Protein shake
• Low fat pudding cup with a few nuts

   

July 23, 2010.....I personally love this entry....What makes The Metabolism Miracle different from any other program or diet?

I work with patients every day at my private practice in Morristown, NJ.  Based on their labwork, health history, and subclinical symptoms, over 50% of overweight people are taught the Metabolism Miracle.  They return in 8 weeks for their first follow-up looking great, feeling great, with much improved labwork.  They are full of energy, have lost inches/pounds, and are literally beaming with a healthy glow.  You would think that these people would have scores of congratulatory stories from their family, friends, coworkers.  Ironically, many people report that those closest to them are not as supportive of these amazing positive changes as you would assume.  These are, after all, the same friends and family who never missed an opportunity to point out that my patient needed to lose weight, get healthy, start exercising, and take better care of themselves. 

I’m going to give MM followers some quick answers to the naysayers who see you looking great, experience you feeling great, and witness your medications being decreased,  and feel the need to drop a wet blanket of gloom and doom and rain on your well-deserved parade!

When you follow The Metabolism Miracle, you know that after day 3, you begin to feel much, much better.  You begin to feel more energetic, sleep better, are more focused, less anxious and/or depressed, feel calmer, and are not fixated on food.  With each passing day, you think to yourself, “is this really going to last?”  Day after day, week after week, months and years after you begin the MM way of life, you benefit from the positive changes in your 24/7 quality of life.  So, yes….this is going to last.  In fact, it is your “new norm.” 

When you follow The Metabolism Miracle, you know that it is a very livable way of life.  From the very beginning in Step 1, you can eat with family and friends, dine at restaurants, even choose from a fast food menu if need be.  You know what is neutral, what “counts”, you make your choices with ease, and the program proceeds.

When you follow The Metabolism Miracle, you know that your body begins to look better quite quickly.  Over time, bloating disappears, your waistline starts to resurface,  your “girls” return to normal size, men lose their “boobies” (pardon the slang, but I do live in NJ), you lose the “back fat” and “muffin top,” and if you have been working out, you finally see definition in your muscles.

When you follow The Metabolism Miracle, your physician sees major improvement in your labwork within 8 weeks!  Your glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, Vitamin D, hemoglobin A1C, reproductive hormone levels, insulin level all respond dramatically.

When you follow the Metabolism Miracle, bystanders ‘get nervous.’  Call it human nature, call it a little bit of envy, call it Debbie or Dan Downer syndrome…but….instead of joining in your happiness, some people get irate. 

Family, friends feel the need to say things like:

“Low Carb diets don’t work.  As soon as you put carbohydrate back in, you will gain it all back, and then some.”

“You are just following Atkins or South Beach.”

“Low Carb diets ruin your kidneys, are unbalanced, unsafe, unhealthy….just go on (insert any other diet), it’s better.” 

I just want to make your life easier with some short, sweet, but factual retorts to stop the “madness”.

1.  The Metabolism Miracle is not a low carb diet.  It is a lifestyle plan that has 3 steps.  Every step is necessary and is there for a scientific, medically based reason.  After 8 weeks of a low carb Step to rest the overwrought pancreas/liver combo and realign the metabolism, the program proceeds to 8+ weeks of a moderate carb program that programs metabolism by introducing carbs in a specified amount, of a certain type, with timing throughout the entire day.  Step 3, maintenance, the Step in which you will spend your life,  is an actual BALANCED diet!  Unlike the food pyramid , with 50+% carb, 20% protein, 30% fat, maintenance on MM is truly a balance of healthy carb, lean protein, heart healthy fat, and liberal veggies.  Tell your friends and family not to worry ….you are on the road to the Perfect Diet.

2. The Metabolism Miracle is night and day when compared to Atkins, South Beach, or any other low carb diet.  Atkins and South Beach are very much the same diet….separated by years  during which it was proven that there are different types of carbohydrate and different types of fat.  If you take South Beach apart, it is an updated Atkins.  It is true that as soon as carb is reintroduced after Induction on  either of these programs, weight re gain is fast and furious.  Neither program is written taking into account the liver glycogen/pancreas insulin connection, neither rests and then reprograms the metabolism based on insulin balance, and neither gives a concrete plan for a lifetime of permanent weight loss  and health of mind/body.

3.  No Step of the Metabolism Miracle is harmful to the body.  It is a fact that most kidney damage is caused by long term damage to the kidney from fluctuating blood sugar.  Nephropathy is a side effect of uncontrolled diabetes!  This program actually takes the stress off the kidneys.  It is not a high protein program, it is in fact a balanced diet created to promote  normal blood sugar and preserve the kidneys, eyes, nerves, blood vessels, heart

4.  If you have metabolic syndrome (Metabolism B), it is actually unhealthy for you to follow diet programs that are based on low calorie, low fat, low cholesterol principles as their carbohydrate content is necessarily high.  It is this excess carbohydrate that will cause you to gain weight, have elevated cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, blood glucose from insulin over-release.

So….Bask in the glow of your new- found health.  Enjoy your energy. Love the way you look.  Give yourself 100% credit for all that you've accomplished.  Look in the mirror and tell yourself "Great job"..."I look great" ...."I love the way I feel"...."I am doing this for myself and no one but myself."  And don’t wait for someone else to praise or congratulate you for the amazing job you are doing.  Your body, mind, and spirit are already doing that!   Diane

July 16, 2010....More on the "solution" for the Obesity/Diabetes Epidemics

So, let's fast forward to 2010.  It has been over 40 years since the advent of the low fat, low calorie switch....We should be a country of svelte, heart healthy people but instead we are heavier and sicker than ever. The White House is focusing on the need to address the obesity problem, starting with children.  Childhood obesity....wow. 

 I meet with patients every day in my private practice (medical nutrition therapy) who are at the end of their rope after spending years struggling and failing on low calorie, low fat, low cholesterol diets.  I actually have a box of tissues on my desk, close to my patient, because many people cry as the tell of their frustration trying to lose weight, keep it off, get healthy, stay healthy....and yet find themselves at the heaviest and sickest they have ever been.

It is hard to change a deeply embedded "belief."  The years between 1970 and 2010 heralded the advent of mass media that perpetuated the ideal of being impossibly thin and diets based on the "calories in/calories out" myth.  Even though the television host herself publically struggles with yo yo dieting...having lost and regained so many pounds even as she was surrounded by "experts" to help with diet, exercise, shopping, cooking, etc...she continues to promote "calories in/calories out." It's as if we are afraid to admit that it might be the diet that is the problem, not us!

When I explain The Metabolism Miracle to my patient, I can see the moment it registers that someone finally understands their conundrum.  That's when the tears flow again, but these are tears of relief.  People with uncontrolled Met B can follow a calorie based, low fat diet and exercise regularly, and actually gain weight!  Those with uncontrolled Met B find themselves gaining weight when they are stressed (unlike Met A's who "can't eat a thing when they are upset).  Met B will cause us to gain weight when we are sick, have an infection, or experience a bout with pain.  If Met B is not controlled, a person can gain 5 pounds over a weekend!  Up until the advent of The Metabolism Miracle, no one believed these patients.  They were told or it was insinuated that they were closet eaters,  sneaking snacks, eating in the middle of the night, might even be "sleep eating." 

When I see a patient 8 weeks after beginning The Metabolism Miracle, I see a very different person.  They are visually leaner, pounds lighter, so much more energetic, have improved self esteem, optimized health, and most have decreased medications.  Interestingly, they can't stop talking about how easy it was for them to succeed.....no more counting calories, hunger pangs, cravings....and for the first time....the.results that they deserve.

And so, it is important for the White House and medical community to recognize that over the past 40 years research has proven that there is not "one size fits all" diet to stop and reverse the obesity/diabetes epidemics.  If we intend to spend the time and money to educate our children on how to become healthy and fit and stay healthy and fit for their lifetimes, we better make sure we are promoting the right path. 

It's time to admit there is a fork in the road when choosing a weight reduction, health promoting plan.....one path (Met A) requires a calories in/calories out, low fat/low cholesterol approach and the other path (Met B) requires an insulin balancing program, "The Metabolism Miracle".  It's as easy as knowing the program that matches your body.  The first step....educate the country about Met A and Met B....and we'll take it from there!  Diane

July 9, 2010....The White House Takes on the Obesity Epidemic...Promoting the Same Program that Drove the Nation to Obesity and Diabetes

It’s wonderful that the White House has decided to focus on obesity as an epidemic.  This appears to be an excellent move as the US population is more obese and sicker than ever before in the country's history.  What am I concerned about?  The White House's plan to help solve the epidemic of obesity is the same program that medical associations have promoted for weight loss for over 40 years….This plan is based on the very precepts that caused our nation to develop this epidemic….  An epidemic that fuels the coffers of the pharmaceutical industry, keeps us medicating/treating, ties us to health care at an earlier age.

It amazes me that no one acknowledges that the current “solution” is the exact same “solution” to overweight that has been espoused since the early 1970’s.  Since the early 1970’s that we’ve become a nation of obese, sick people.  Something happened over 40 years ago that set us up for the obesity/diabetes epidemics we are facing today.  It’s time to admit it, change it, and fix the problem now and forever. 

Anyone old enough to remember the 1960’s remembers a time when the world was a thinner, more active, healthier place.  Do you remember your parents, at the age of 45, taking 4 or more medications? (I see multiple medications listed on the majority of medical forms of overweight person over the age 40).  Do you remember more than 5 overweight kids in your graduating class? (I can still remember the handful of kids who were “chubby” throughout my school career).  Do you remember your school friends having adult onset diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol? (I knew one child with Type 1 diabetes…a condition not related to weight)

In order to fully understand today's problem, one needs to look back to the early 1970’s.  At this time, America learned a new catch phrase… “Hardening of the arteries.”  (Isn’t it interesting that you rarely hear this phrase in 2010?)  These days,  everyone is  familiar with  fancier terms: total cholesterol, high density and low density cholesterol, good cholesterol and bad cholesterol, triglycerides, ratios, particle size.  We’ve come a long way, baby.

When the country began to focus on our "hardening arteries", the medical community began to spin the idea that we must decrease our dietary fat intake to decrease the fat in our blood vessels.  You can see the outcome on your supermarket shelves that are  stocked with low fat, fat free, reduced fat, low calorie, light, lite foods.  Even foods like butter, milk, cheese, salad dressings, gravies, sour cream, creamers, cream cheese, peanut butter….foods that contain fat because, they are normally  made of fat….. engineered to be low fat.   We were advised to avoid butter and switch to engineered margarine because margarine was not made of “animal fat.” We were assured that animal fats were bad and the reason for the fat deposits in our arteries.  Now, the food cart is filled with lite margarine, skim milk, fat free cheese, fat free salad dressing, fat free gravy, fat free sour cream, fat free creamer, fat free ice cream, fat free chips, fat free peanut butter…..we should be much thinner and have very much decreased our cholesterol and triglycerides, right?  Wrong.

Ever since the medical community focused on low fat/reduced fat, low calories,  the US has blown- up in size, become addicted to medications, signed up at health clubs, and instead of improving our condition...we are getting worse!  It is obvious that something is very wrong with this theory, right?  Right.

It should be mentioned  that when a food company engineers a fat- containing food to contain little to no fat, the food is rendered flavorless.  As a result, in an effort to reduce or eliminate the fat, but still sell “healthy foods”…companies decided to increase the fat- free ingredient: carbohydrate. 

Check for yourself….look at the carbohydrate grams in Italian dressing and look at the carbohydrate grams in fat free Italian dressing.  Night and Day difference.  But that shouldn’t matter because carbohydrate contains no fat and contains less than ½ the calories of fat.  This is good, right?  Wrong.

I contend that in the early 1970’s, the idea of hardening of the arteries, cholesterol, saturated fat, 'calories in – calories out' became the focus of  media and medical rhetoric.  I also contend that since the advent of low fat, fat free, reduced fat, low calorie diets, we have become heavier and sicker.   

To see the whole picture, we need to turn the clock back even further,  to the late 1950’s and 1960’s.  At that time,  medical researchers began to agree that a compilation of medical conditions eventually manifested as a quartet of chronic illnesses.  The term given to this syndrome: Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X.  The compilation of problems : midline fat deposits (belly fat), elevated LDL cholesterol/ triglycerides, elevated blood pressure, elevated blood sugar are somehow related.  These illnesses don’t happen in isolation; they ARE linked to each other by a common denominator.   Long before the low- fat diet craze, medical researchers already  knew about metabolic syndrome.

More than a decade later, in the 1970’s we began to hear of low fat, fat free, low calorie…..because “it seemed natural and  obvious that the fat on our bodies and  in our blood,  the fat that contributes to our high  blood pressure and pushes the button for diabetes must be due to Americans overeating calories and fat."

What we weren’t told was that at least 50% of overweight people will gain weight on a low fat, low cholesterol, and low calorie diet.  Millions of people  get fatter, need medications for cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and eventually become  diabetic on low fat, low calorie, low cholesterol diets.  The diet restrictions they are being encouraged to follow is the very diet that will cause them to be heavier and sicker.  Scary?  Yes.  Does it surprise people who live in 2010?  No.

More to come………………….Diane

 July 6, 2010....Let's focus our attention on Prevention of obesity and type 2 diabetes to block the need for future dependence on Medication...aka...Why are there over 400 new drugs for diabetes in the FDA pipeline when a simple test can prevent the need for future medication?

July 5, 2010…..The Biggest Loser; Incredible and Impossible.

The Biggest Loser is a thorn in my side.  I’ve often had to spend valuable teaching time explaining  to my patients that what they are seeing on this “reality” television show is not reality.  They become discouraged even though they, themselves,  are losing fat, improving their health, look great, feel great, have had medications decreased or eliminated.  They want to lose 20#-30#/week like they see on the show! 

For those of you who are not familiar with the program, the Biggest Loser is aired over a 12 week period.  The premise is that what you are seeing is taking place over 12 weeks.  Many contestants begin the program weighing over 400 pounds and have not exercised in years prior to the program.  They are assigned a “trainer” who gives them a diet and exercise regimen.  The winner is the person who loses the greatest percentage of weight at the end of the series.  The trainer of the winning contestant also wins money.  The winner: $250,000, the trainer: $100,000. 

What do I question?

1. All contestants are obese individuals who are not physically conditioned.  The program supposedly has them exercising over 6 hours/day.   This is more exercise than an Olympic athlete maintains…and these contestants are 350+ pounds and not conditioned.  Some are carrying over 200# of excess weight.  But, we are to believe that they are intensely exercising for over 6 hours/day.

 2. The contestants are put on a starvation- grade low calorie diet.  Please realize that there is a level of calories under which your body will begin to systematically slow body processes down.  If  you are not taking in enough calories to maintain your heartbeat, respiration, digestion, brain activity, and if you continually consume less than this basal energy requirement, your body will slow your metabolic burn, decrease your energy level and ability to exercise, and slow all your bodily functions in an effort to preserve life.  We are to believe that these contestants can maintain starvation levels of calories AND exercise over 6 hours/day.

3. Patients who lose over 100 pounds are usually left with excess skin and a less than toned body.  Many people who lose over 100# submit to plastic surgery to removed the excess folds of skin and tighten their body after years of maintaining a much larger body mass.  Note the greatest amount of weight lost by a man on the Biggest Loser was over 260# and a woman lost over 180#!   All contestants are shown at the end of the series with little to no excess skin, the men have “six packs”, the men and women are nicely toned.  We are to believe that this is the result of exercise and a low calorie diet, over a 50% loss of weight….the excess skin disappeared and their body ended up beautifully and miraculously toned.  All this in 12 weeks!

4. Even with a gastric bypass….in which a person has their stomach surgically decreased to the size of a golf ball and rewired to malabsorb calories and nutrients, it takes almost a year for most people to lose 100#.  Afterward, many gastric bypass patients have excess skin removed after their enormous weight loss.  We are to believe that in 12-18 weeks (18 weeks was the longest time frame)….a mere 3-4.5 months…people are losing 50% of their body weight with no sagging, no excess skin…and end the process fully toned, gorgeous, and on the cover of People magazine.  Would you believe that a man lost 100# in just 7 weeks and woman in just 9 weeks?  I wouldn’t believe it, either.

What do I know? 

At the end of every telecast, the following disclaimer is shown; I’ve highlighted in RED some things I want to point out.

"Our contestants were supervised by doctors while participating in the show, and their diet and exercise regimen was tailored to their medical status and their specific needs. Consult with your own doctor before embarking on any diet or exercise program."

The weight-loss regimen used in the show—severe caloric restriction combined with up to six hours a day of strenuous exercise—involves risks including a weakening of the heart muscle, irregular heartbeat and dangerous reductions in potassium and electrolytes. Contestants are required to sign a release that say "“no warranty, representation or guarantee has been made as to the qualifications or credentials of the medical professionals who examine me or perform any procedures on me in connection with my participation in the series, or their ability to diagnose medical conditions that may affect my fitness to participate in the series." Contestants, regardless of their weight, are required to certify that they believe they are "in excellent physical, emotional, psychological and mental health."

Contestants admit that the 20-30# you “see” lost from one week to the next takes place over more than a week…and won’t say how much time actually passed.  Some admit that no one loses over 8# in any given week!  Ryan C. Benson, the winner of the program’s first season, publicly admitted that "he dropped some of the weight by fasting and dehydrating himself to the point that he was urinating blood." In 2009, Kai Hibbard (runner-up from the third season) told the New York Times that "she and other contestants would drink as little water as possible in the 24 hours before a weigh-in" and would "work out in as much clothing as possible" when the cameras were off. She further stated that two weeks after the show ended, she had regained about 31 pounds, mostly from staying hydrated. In a June 2010 interview, Hibbard said, "I do still struggle [with an eating disorder]. I do. My husband says I’m still afraid of food... I’m still pretty messed up from the show." Kai Hibbard has gained back 70 of the 118 pounds she lost on the show, and readily tells how the pressures of the show forced her into a mentality where a cup of coffee was considered a full meal. 

So, there you have it.  I contend that the program takes place over much longer than 12-18 weeks and involves much more than diet/exercise.  I contend that there are procedures performed and not shown to the public (as stated in the release). 

 I contend that it is a shame that the public is exposed to such a fallacy and is fooled into thinking that this kind of weight loss is a possibility in the “real world.” Why not show real people losing weight and getting healthy in the real world with a real program that really works?    But that wouldn’t sell air time, would it?  Diane

June 23, 2010....Realizing and treating the root cause of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)

The following is an entry I added to the PCOS Challenge site to make public aware of  the root cause of PCOS.  The general public does not yet realize that PCOS is a medical condition with a root cause of uncontrolled Metabolism B.  Without this knowledge, these women spend years with irregular periods, increasingly heavy periods, extreme cramps, PMS, abnormal reproductive hormonal levels, may be diagnosed with infertility, have abnormal hair growth, midline fat deposits, elevated cholesterol, later in life are prone to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.  I think this is an interesting read for both men and women....almost everyone knows a woman who suffers from PCOS...read on!

I feel that one of the problems with US medicine is that we are always searching for the "medicine" to "treat" a condtion, syndrome, or disease. Wouldn't it make more sense and simplify the solution is we looked to the root cause of the problem and worked at the "root level" instead of treating and medicating the end result?

The root problem for every woman with PCOS is hyperinsulinism. Did you know that insulin is a fat gain hormone? If a person releases excess insulin 24 hours/day...they will form more fat on and in their body. Excess insulin will cause the woman with PCOS to gain weight over and above what they eat calorically, amass midline fat deposits, and eventually suffer with elevated cholesterol and triglycerides.

Insulin determines 24/7 blood sugar levels. Excess insulin causes blood sugar to vascillate all day/night with peaks and valleys causing hunger and carb cravings, depression, fatigue, anxiety, poor sleep, irritability, brain fog, racing thoughts, inability to focus and concentrate, low libido, blurry vision, aches/pains.

As a main hormone in the endocrine system, when excess insulin is released...it throws off the balance of many other hormones of the endocrine system...including the hormones of reproduction. Estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, LH, FSH are all hormones of the endocrine system. When insulin is "off", it is very common for these hormones to be "off."

Excess insulin causes fat cells to grow and insulin receptors to "stretch." In time, stretched insulin receptors will not allow insulin to connect. This is insulin resistance! isn't it ironic that the drug used for PCOS is a drug originally developed for diabetes? That is because those with PCOS who do not treat their insulin problem are on the fast track to diabetes!

PCOS is often a precursor to prediabetes which is a precursor to irreversible type 2 diabetes!

Interesting, isn't it? Recap:

+++Women with PCOS were born with the gene for metabolic syndrome (for ease, I call this Met B).
+++The root of metabolic syndrome (and PCOS) is excess insulin release.
+++Insulin is a fat gain hormone
+++Excess insulin causes fat gain "on" and "in" the body
+++Women with excess insulin get fat (especially around the middle where the insulin is released from the pancreas) and eventually in their blood : in the form of rising cholesterol and triglycerides.
+++Excess insulin causes blood sugar fluctuations that cause 24/7 symptoms including: hunger and carb cravings, depression, fatigue, anxiety, poor sleep, irritability, brain fog, racing thoughts, inability to focus and concentrate, low libido, blurry vision, aches/pains.
++++Excess insulin causes fat cells to grown and insulin receptors to become misshapen, this is the actual cause of insulin resistance in women with PCOS.
+++The #1 drug used to "treat" PCOS is metformin or glucophage, a medicine initially developed for type 2 diabetes!!! Metformin does not directly slow insulin production
+++If the pancreas continues to over-release insulin throughout a woman's life, she will absolutely develop metabolic syndrome: high cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

The answer to this dilemma is not in a medicine. It is in a lifestyle change. Women with PCOS must realize that they DO have uncontrolled Metabolism B and the root cause of their problem is in insulin over-release.

A calorie counting diet (low calorie, exercise, low cholesterol, low fat) does not address insulin and will never work to help PCOS.

The diet method that works for PCOS, metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia is the diet that gets the root of all of these problems...excess insulin must be stopped and the pancreas must be rested ASAP.

The lifestyle program that absolutely controls insulin release and begins immediately to regulate PCOS is The Metabolism Miracle!  Pass it forward!  Diane Kress