So how many of you think that you really know what chiropractic is all about? Most people would give an explanation such as they get rid of back pain, or they work on your neck to alleviate your headache. These explanations are certainly true, chiropractors do deal with the musculoskeletal system and its related disorders and they do get rid of pain. But, would you believe me if I told you that a chiropractic adjustment can decrease tension and anxiety, reduce your stress levels, increase your mental focus and actually assist you in losing weight, stop smoking and help you reduce cravings in general?
“Yea right” you’re saying but it is actually well documented and there are numerous studies to back up these claims. Let me explain.
The spine is intimately related to what is called “The Central Nervous System”, or CNS. The body is an extremely complex machine with hundreds of chemical reactions occurring every minute. The way we think, feel and act are all caused by chemical reactions in the CNS utilizing what are called “neurotransmitters”. The most important of these for this discussion are Dopamine (increase focus and sense of well being), Serotonin (anti-depressant, feel good), Enkephalins and Endorphins (pain killers) and GABA (sedative). They all work together to give us that wonderful feeling of well-being. This interaction of chemicals has been termed the “Brain Reward Cascade”.
Now let’s just say for the sake of argument that a person has some joints that are not moving in their proper range of motion, or they are “out of alignment”. A lot of things go on because of this such as an increase in nociceptors, decrease in mechanoreceptors and an increase in the sympathetic nervous system. Just remember one important concept from the above, when a person is in what we call “sympathetic dominance” (when there is an increase in the sympathetic nervous system response) that person does not produce Dopamine!! Now hey that concept is super important because guess what dopamine does? It gives you focus and makes you feel good.
Once the brain reward cascade is impaired, causing a reduction in dopamine, there is a resulting sense of incompleteness, unease and anxiety. Sound familiar? This can lead to seeking substances or behaviors that can give us some relief. This is known as “Reward Deficiency Syndrome” or RDS. When the reward cascade breaks down, the “craving” behaviors begin. Numerous studies have established that alcohol, cocaine, heroine, marijuana, glucose and nicotine all cause a release of dopamine. Thus by indulging in these substances they get back that “feel good” feeling. This behavior is highly addictive because these people crave that dopamine release.
So how does the chiropractor fit into all this? A “subluxation” or improper motion in the joint exacerbates RDS. If you have ever been to a chiropractor for an adjustment you most likely have left with that feeling of relaxation and just feeling “good” overall. That is because the adjustment actually works on the limbic system (via the CNS) to increase the release of your neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin and your natural pain killers the enkephalins and endorphins. The chiropractic adjustment actually rebalances the Brain Reward Cascade. Now not only does it make you feel good and of course corrects the misalignment/improper joint motion, but it also works on your brain (the temporal lobe) to reduce your anger and aggression!! I have actually had patients report that when they left my office the felt like they were “on cloud nine” or that their focus increased so that they could actually see the dew on the leaves of the trees outside. So the next time you are experiencing cravings, you feel stressed out, angry or totally have lost your focus, think about going to see your chiropractor for Total Body Wellness.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Strength Training for Teens
Considering the field that I am in I get hit with a lot of questions concerning teenagers and weight training. How old do they need to be to start? Should they be weight training at all? Can’t weight training stunt their growth? I hope that I can shed some light on this subject and dispel some myths at the same time.
In my opinion a child/teen should be capable to begin weight training at around the ages of 13-15. Of course barring any physical disabilities and a clean bill of health. Now this age has more to do with their mental status than their physical status. What I mean is the teen needs to be mature enough to understand the benefits as well as the risks involved and to take directions well. Just as in any sport, injuries do occur and a teen should always be supervised by a competent, trained adult.
So can weight training stunt a teen’s growth? According to the most recent research on the subject the answer is no. Supervised age-appropriate strength training actually strengthens the bones by increasing its mass density.
Many people ask me if I think that a teen should be weight training at all? Well I respond with a resounding YES to that question and I will tell you why. There are in incredible amount of benefits to teen weight training. In my opinion the largest benefit is “Neuromuscular Training”. Let me explain. One would think that muscle size would be the largest benefit, just as it seems to be in adult weight training. But, the endocrine system of course is involved and the hormone levels are not the same as in an adult. Muscle size gains are at a minimum in teens due to the still low androgen levels found in their systems. So strength gains, balance and coordination are the main benefits seen. These benefits will help a great deal with any sport they participate in the future.
Strength gains. There are two ways to achieve the action of moving a load, in this case say a barbell. One is through muscle fiber enlargement (increase muscle size) but also through muscle fiber “recruitment”. What I mean by this is if a muscle is faced with the challenge of moving an object, if it is not strong enough to move it by itself it must gather the assistance of additional muscle fibers to complete the task. This is muscle recruitment. Now this requires neuromuscular learning. Strength training teaches the body how to differentiate load size and recruit the appropriate amount of muscle fibers to complete the task. In addition, this neuromuscular learning will also help with proprioception (balance), and fine movements that are required in so many sports situations.
In addition to the above benefits we also see improved bone density, improved blood lipid panels with decreased blood pressure as well as improved cardiovascular fitness and improved body composition. In these days of overweight teens and teenage diabetes and metabolic syndrome we are looking to foster the “LEAN TEEN”.
In my opinion a child/teen should be capable to begin weight training at around the ages of 13-15. Of course barring any physical disabilities and a clean bill of health. Now this age has more to do with their mental status than their physical status. What I mean is the teen needs to be mature enough to understand the benefits as well as the risks involved and to take directions well. Just as in any sport, injuries do occur and a teen should always be supervised by a competent, trained adult.
So can weight training stunt a teen’s growth? According to the most recent research on the subject the answer is no. Supervised age-appropriate strength training actually strengthens the bones by increasing its mass density.
Many people ask me if I think that a teen should be weight training at all? Well I respond with a resounding YES to that question and I will tell you why. There are in incredible amount of benefits to teen weight training. In my opinion the largest benefit is “Neuromuscular Training”. Let me explain. One would think that muscle size would be the largest benefit, just as it seems to be in adult weight training. But, the endocrine system of course is involved and the hormone levels are not the same as in an adult. Muscle size gains are at a minimum in teens due to the still low androgen levels found in their systems. So strength gains, balance and coordination are the main benefits seen. These benefits will help a great deal with any sport they participate in the future.
Strength gains. There are two ways to achieve the action of moving a load, in this case say a barbell. One is through muscle fiber enlargement (increase muscle size) but also through muscle fiber “recruitment”. What I mean by this is if a muscle is faced with the challenge of moving an object, if it is not strong enough to move it by itself it must gather the assistance of additional muscle fibers to complete the task. This is muscle recruitment. Now this requires neuromuscular learning. Strength training teaches the body how to differentiate load size and recruit the appropriate amount of muscle fibers to complete the task. In addition, this neuromuscular learning will also help with proprioception (balance), and fine movements that are required in so many sports situations.
In addition to the above benefits we also see improved bone density, improved blood lipid panels with decreased blood pressure as well as improved cardiovascular fitness and improved body composition. In these days of overweight teens and teenage diabetes and metabolic syndrome we are looking to foster the “LEAN TEEN”.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Syndrome X: Disease of The New Millennium
Every decade it seems that we as a population are confronted with yet another horrific health risk to deal with. The bubonic plague of the middle ages, polio and auto-immune diseases such as Lupus, to name but a few.
Our most recent health nemesis continues to rise at an astronomical rate. It is actually a collection of health risk factors that if not reversed will lead to major known diseases like Diabetes, Stroke and Heart Disease. In my opinion we are actually responsible for the majority of diseases that we battle. From poor hygiene to using a myriad of chemicals with unresearched side effects. This newest disease is no exception.
Syndrome X, otherwise know as Metabolic Syndrome or more aptly named Dysmetabolic Syndrome is characterized by a multiple array of common symptoms found in every corner of our society. According to a recent national health survey, more than 1 in 5 Americans has Syndrome X! The chances of being affected also increase with age, affecting more than 40% of people in their 60s and 70s.
Do I Have Metabolic Syndrome?
An individual is diagnosed with Syndrome X if he/she displays at least 3 of these 4 factors…
1. Abdominal Obesity. A waistline of > 40 inches in men and >35 inches in women.
2. An elevated Blood Pressure of 130/85 or higher.
3. Atherogenic Dyslipedemia. Characterized by high triglycerides (above 150 mg/dl), high LDLs, and low HDLs
4. A fasting blood sugar level >100mg/dl.
A patient may also exhibit a “prothrombotic state”, inclined to clot easily and a “pro-inflammatory state” with an elevated C - reactive protein in the blood.
So what causes Syndrome X?
It is believed that a combination of genetic dispositions and more importantly lifestyle choices are the major causes. Lifestyle choices such as the foods that we consume and the amounts or lack thereof of physical activity. I firmly believe that an important factor leading to Syndrome X is the large amounts of “highly refined carbohydrates” that we consume on a daily basis. Examples include breads, pastas, cakes, cookies and of course sodas. Long-term consumption of these foods dulls our insulin receptors (responsible for dealing with our blood sugar) and we eventually become “Insulin Resistant”. When this happens the cell is no longer receptive to utilizing sugars derived from these carbs as an energy source and it is now stored as fat!
Syndrome X can also cause lasting organ damage. The pancreas, the kidneys, the heart and the cardiovascular system are all adversely affected, sometimes permanently. Once this happens, diabetes, high blood pressure and an increase in blood vessel plaque are on the fast track.
So can this disease be slowed, halted, even possibly reversed? Thankfully the answer is a resounding YES. Remember that poor dietary habits and lack of physical activity were the main pre-disposing factors so it stands to reason that a reversal in this pattern can be life changing. I have seen this happen first hand and it is incredible to see the changes in these people. Not only are they healthier but they are now happier and guess what, they lost weight in the process. So do not wait another day. Start a new program today. A program that includes a well balanced diet and vigorous exercise program and get started on the new you. You can look forward to a healthy happier you.
Our most recent health nemesis continues to rise at an astronomical rate. It is actually a collection of health risk factors that if not reversed will lead to major known diseases like Diabetes, Stroke and Heart Disease. In my opinion we are actually responsible for the majority of diseases that we battle. From poor hygiene to using a myriad of chemicals with unresearched side effects. This newest disease is no exception.
Syndrome X, otherwise know as Metabolic Syndrome or more aptly named Dysmetabolic Syndrome is characterized by a multiple array of common symptoms found in every corner of our society. According to a recent national health survey, more than 1 in 5 Americans has Syndrome X! The chances of being affected also increase with age, affecting more than 40% of people in their 60s and 70s.
Do I Have Metabolic Syndrome?
An individual is diagnosed with Syndrome X if he/she displays at least 3 of these 4 factors…
1. Abdominal Obesity. A waistline of > 40 inches in men and >35 inches in women.
2. An elevated Blood Pressure of 130/85 or higher.
3. Atherogenic Dyslipedemia. Characterized by high triglycerides (above 150 mg/dl), high LDLs, and low HDLs
4. A fasting blood sugar level >100mg/dl.
A patient may also exhibit a “prothrombotic state”, inclined to clot easily and a “pro-inflammatory state” with an elevated C - reactive protein in the blood.
So what causes Syndrome X?
It is believed that a combination of genetic dispositions and more importantly lifestyle choices are the major causes. Lifestyle choices such as the foods that we consume and the amounts or lack thereof of physical activity. I firmly believe that an important factor leading to Syndrome X is the large amounts of “highly refined carbohydrates” that we consume on a daily basis. Examples include breads, pastas, cakes, cookies and of course sodas. Long-term consumption of these foods dulls our insulin receptors (responsible for dealing with our blood sugar) and we eventually become “Insulin Resistant”. When this happens the cell is no longer receptive to utilizing sugars derived from these carbs as an energy source and it is now stored as fat!
Syndrome X can also cause lasting organ damage. The pancreas, the kidneys, the heart and the cardiovascular system are all adversely affected, sometimes permanently. Once this happens, diabetes, high blood pressure and an increase in blood vessel plaque are on the fast track.
So can this disease be slowed, halted, even possibly reversed? Thankfully the answer is a resounding YES. Remember that poor dietary habits and lack of physical activity were the main pre-disposing factors so it stands to reason that a reversal in this pattern can be life changing. I have seen this happen first hand and it is incredible to see the changes in these people. Not only are they healthier but they are now happier and guess what, they lost weight in the process. So do not wait another day. Start a new program today. A program that includes a well balanced diet and vigorous exercise program and get started on the new you. You can look forward to a healthy happier you.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Is Your Home A Toxic Waste Dump?
“What the public doesn’t understand is that your house is the hazardous waste site. All the things in your house are made of the same chemicals that are on the hazardous lists”. Wayne Ott, Environmental Protection Agency
So I have been thinking an awful lot lately about hormones. Everywhere I look I can see the adverse effects of hormones that are completely out of balance in the general public. Take for example the young girls in grade school who look like they are in college or how about the young boys who are growing breast tissue. Of course we could also look at the adults; the women are experiencing menopausal symptoms way too early and the guys are all experiencing andropausal symptoms (basically the male equivalent of menopause).
But I will bet that you did not even realize that products in and around our homes can be causing most of these problems not to mention a host of reproductive tract disorders!!! The word of the day is XENOHORMONES . And we and our loved ones are being exposed to a whole host of them daily. Until recently the only hormones that the human body was exposed to outside of the body were mostly plant hormones. But, in the last 60 years 87,000 man-made chemicals have been introduced into the food and the water supply. When tested many of these chemicals have been found in human tissue, the blood stream and even in breast milk!
The sources for these xenohormones or hormone disruptors will surprise you and I won’t list them all or believe me this article will be way too long. But if you are interested in the long list please do not hesitate to contact me. There are Pesticides, Plastics, Plasticizers (pthalenes), Pharmaceuticals, Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS), Detergents, and just about everything in your bathroom.
Ok let’s just focus on the common bathroom for the moment.
So lets suppose you wake up get in the shower, shave, and shampoo and condition your hair. You get out put lotion on and deodorant; brush your teeth and gargle. Now if you are female you are going to put on all that makeup, blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara and lipstick. Let’s not forget the perfume or cologne. Do you have any idea how many cancer causing, hormone disrupting products you just exposed yourself to? Every product I just mentioned has a harmful hormone disrupting effect. Now I don’t want to sound like an alarmist or some conspiracy theorist but I think that you should at least be educated and then go about formulating a plan on how to combat some of these issues.
There are certainly many things that you can do to assist in regaining control of the health and well being of yourself and your family. First of all please remember that the people most at risk are pregnant women, the fetus, infants and children and the elderly, esp. with compromised immune systems. But we all are at risk in some way and most effects are cumulative, meaning they will add up in your body.
Obviously there are ways to minimize your exposure. You can contact me for a complete list but to name a few: Get yourselves an ozone/ion generator; it will help immensely in pulling many of these toxins out of the air. Change air and heating filters regularly. Do not use air fresheners, sprays or plug-ins. Install water filters, even on the shower. Do Not Use scented detergents or fabric softeners. Get a vacuum with a HEPA filter. And use safe cosmetics and personal care products. Also, do not use those chemical fertilizers on your lawn or in the garden. You will track it all into the home. I would also highly suggest a detoxification and purification program to cleanse the body of these toxins and to get your body’s systems working optimally so that you can rid your body of these substances as you encounter them.
“The typical American home contains 63 hazardous products”. (Hormone Deception)
So I have been thinking an awful lot lately about hormones. Everywhere I look I can see the adverse effects of hormones that are completely out of balance in the general public. Take for example the young girls in grade school who look like they are in college or how about the young boys who are growing breast tissue. Of course we could also look at the adults; the women are experiencing menopausal symptoms way too early and the guys are all experiencing andropausal symptoms (basically the male equivalent of menopause).
But I will bet that you did not even realize that products in and around our homes can be causing most of these problems not to mention a host of reproductive tract disorders!!! The word of the day is XENOHORMONES . And we and our loved ones are being exposed to a whole host of them daily. Until recently the only hormones that the human body was exposed to outside of the body were mostly plant hormones. But, in the last 60 years 87,000 man-made chemicals have been introduced into the food and the water supply. When tested many of these chemicals have been found in human tissue, the blood stream and even in breast milk!
The sources for these xenohormones or hormone disruptors will surprise you and I won’t list them all or believe me this article will be way too long. But if you are interested in the long list please do not hesitate to contact me. There are Pesticides, Plastics, Plasticizers (pthalenes), Pharmaceuticals, Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS), Detergents, and just about everything in your bathroom.
Ok let’s just focus on the common bathroom for the moment.
So lets suppose you wake up get in the shower, shave, and shampoo and condition your hair. You get out put lotion on and deodorant; brush your teeth and gargle. Now if you are female you are going to put on all that makeup, blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara and lipstick. Let’s not forget the perfume or cologne. Do you have any idea how many cancer causing, hormone disrupting products you just exposed yourself to? Every product I just mentioned has a harmful hormone disrupting effect. Now I don’t want to sound like an alarmist or some conspiracy theorist but I think that you should at least be educated and then go about formulating a plan on how to combat some of these issues.
There are certainly many things that you can do to assist in regaining control of the health and well being of yourself and your family. First of all please remember that the people most at risk are pregnant women, the fetus, infants and children and the elderly, esp. with compromised immune systems. But we all are at risk in some way and most effects are cumulative, meaning they will add up in your body.
Obviously there are ways to minimize your exposure. You can contact me for a complete list but to name a few: Get yourselves an ozone/ion generator; it will help immensely in pulling many of these toxins out of the air. Change air and heating filters regularly. Do not use air fresheners, sprays or plug-ins. Install water filters, even on the shower. Do Not Use scented detergents or fabric softeners. Get a vacuum with a HEPA filter. And use safe cosmetics and personal care products. Also, do not use those chemical fertilizers on your lawn or in the garden. You will track it all into the home. I would also highly suggest a detoxification and purification program to cleanse the body of these toxins and to get your body’s systems working optimally so that you can rid your body of these substances as you encounter them.
“The typical American home contains 63 hazardous products”. (Hormone Deception)
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Stress, the Adrenals and how to restore balance
You wake up to that annoying alarm; you know the one that seems to come way too early. The one that every morning you come up with a more inventive way to destroy it, not just throw it as hard as you can against a wall. The day begins, maybe you have to get the kids off to school first, and you get your butt in the shower and get off to work. On your way to work you begin to wonder anew how all these inept people could have possibly received a license to drive a car. You worry about how you are going to afford to keep putting gas in the car with the prices rising astronomically, you worry about the new set of bills that have to be paid this week, and on and on and on. By the time you get to work you are already stressed out and it just keeps on coming. Your boss is a jerk, and your work is backing up on your desk and its only nine am. Ok, so what I am trying to get across here is that life seems to have just gotten more and more stressful with no light at the end of the tunnel. And if the body continues to have to deal with that much stress on a daily basis you are setting yourself up for some serious future health issues!! I mean it, this is no joke and I want all of you who read this to think really long and hard about whether you want to be around twenty years down the road. Maybe to enjoy retirement, or to see your son or daughter get married, or to enjoy your grandchildren.
Let’s start with some basics here so that I can explain what is happening in your body and most importantly how it can be reversed so that you can live a healthy happy life.
The endocrine system. This is the system of your body that deals with hormones. In my opinion the most important system in your body. It controls your moods, emotions, sex drive, stress handling, weight gain/loss, growth, metabolism, body repair and regeneration( anti-aging), healthy brain function, cognition and memory, to just name a few. Steroid hormones are the family of hormones that are made from cholesterol and are either anabolic or catabolic in their nature. Oh and yes you did read that correctly, I did say cholesterol. Cholesterol is the basic building block of a majority of the hormones produced in your body and get this; the LDLs are the important ones!! Imagine that. So lowering your cholesterol and more specifically your LDLs makes it hard to balance your hormones. In my opinion those statin or cholesterol drugs are a form of “population control”.
Now lets set up just a bit more of the background story. The central control panel of the endocrine system is the Hypothalamus-Pituitary Axis. Just remember that the hypothalamus basically tells the pituitary what to do and the pituitary controls the actions of the adrenals, thyroid and gonads. The adrenals are your Stress Organ. Excessive stress leads to a breakdown in this system (H-P Axis De-Regulation). This will eventually lead you to adrenal blow-out and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Cortisol is released into the body due to the body’s “fight or flight” mechanism in response to stress. In the short term this is not a bad thing. A quick burst of energy, heightened memory functions, increased immunity and lower sensitivity to pain. The problem arises when our bodies are in a constant state of stress. Under these conditions the body must continue to output more and more cortisol. Now remember this point, Cortisol is aggressively catabolic when it is out of balance!!! It has been well documented that it will aggressively break down your body at high levels. It will impair brain function, suppress your thyroid, decrease your immune response, cause blood sugar imbalances, raise your blood pressure and cause fat deposition around the abdomen and lead to heart disease and stroke.
So where is the body getting all the building blocks to continue to output so much cortisol? A colleague of mine coined the term “The Pregnenolone Steal” because the body is actually stealing cholesterol from the hormone pregnenolone that it should be using for male and female hormone productions to fuel this response. So what you are getting in the long term is a complete imbalance in your normal hormone panels. Males will have decreased testosterone which will lead to Andropause and women will have tons of menopausal and menstrual issues to name a few. PLUS, your body’s production of DHEA (The Anti-Aging Hormone) is drastically lowered as well. So this continued chronic stress state will lead to not only the above listed health issues but to numerous hormonal issues for both males and females.
So what do we do about this whole scenario and how do we change our situation. To be quite honest with you that is a hugely loaded question and if you really want to do it right I would suggest actually sitting down with a healthcare provider who specializes in restorative endocrinology and age management. But, there is certainly what I would call the “cook book” approach that will at least give you a starting point. To begin with you need to learn more effective ways to deal with your stressors. I would highly suggest that you go to a web site called Heartmath.org for a huge amount of information on stress handling ideas. I also suggest to my clients that they start an exercise program, deep breathing techniques, yoga or tai chi. I also suggest body work support such as chiropractic care, acupuncture and massage. Nutritional support is an absolute must for this situation. Dependant on the persons specific situation I would suggest appropriate adrenal/ovarian/testicular/H-P Axis Support. Chronic stress in our daily lives is killing us and it needs to be addressed and reversed. Please begin to enjoy your life just a little more.
Let’s start with some basics here so that I can explain what is happening in your body and most importantly how it can be reversed so that you can live a healthy happy life.
The endocrine system. This is the system of your body that deals with hormones. In my opinion the most important system in your body. It controls your moods, emotions, sex drive, stress handling, weight gain/loss, growth, metabolism, body repair and regeneration( anti-aging), healthy brain function, cognition and memory, to just name a few. Steroid hormones are the family of hormones that are made from cholesterol and are either anabolic or catabolic in their nature. Oh and yes you did read that correctly, I did say cholesterol. Cholesterol is the basic building block of a majority of the hormones produced in your body and get this; the LDLs are the important ones!! Imagine that. So lowering your cholesterol and more specifically your LDLs makes it hard to balance your hormones. In my opinion those statin or cholesterol drugs are a form of “population control”.
Now lets set up just a bit more of the background story. The central control panel of the endocrine system is the Hypothalamus-Pituitary Axis. Just remember that the hypothalamus basically tells the pituitary what to do and the pituitary controls the actions of the adrenals, thyroid and gonads. The adrenals are your Stress Organ. Excessive stress leads to a breakdown in this system (H-P Axis De-Regulation). This will eventually lead you to adrenal blow-out and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Cortisol is released into the body due to the body’s “fight or flight” mechanism in response to stress. In the short term this is not a bad thing. A quick burst of energy, heightened memory functions, increased immunity and lower sensitivity to pain. The problem arises when our bodies are in a constant state of stress. Under these conditions the body must continue to output more and more cortisol. Now remember this point, Cortisol is aggressively catabolic when it is out of balance!!! It has been well documented that it will aggressively break down your body at high levels. It will impair brain function, suppress your thyroid, decrease your immune response, cause blood sugar imbalances, raise your blood pressure and cause fat deposition around the abdomen and lead to heart disease and stroke.
So where is the body getting all the building blocks to continue to output so much cortisol? A colleague of mine coined the term “The Pregnenolone Steal” because the body is actually stealing cholesterol from the hormone pregnenolone that it should be using for male and female hormone productions to fuel this response. So what you are getting in the long term is a complete imbalance in your normal hormone panels. Males will have decreased testosterone which will lead to Andropause and women will have tons of menopausal and menstrual issues to name a few. PLUS, your body’s production of DHEA (The Anti-Aging Hormone) is drastically lowered as well. So this continued chronic stress state will lead to not only the above listed health issues but to numerous hormonal issues for both males and females.
So what do we do about this whole scenario and how do we change our situation. To be quite honest with you that is a hugely loaded question and if you really want to do it right I would suggest actually sitting down with a healthcare provider who specializes in restorative endocrinology and age management. But, there is certainly what I would call the “cook book” approach that will at least give you a starting point. To begin with you need to learn more effective ways to deal with your stressors. I would highly suggest that you go to a web site called Heartmath.org for a huge amount of information on stress handling ideas. I also suggest to my clients that they start an exercise program, deep breathing techniques, yoga or tai chi. I also suggest body work support such as chiropractic care, acupuncture and massage. Nutritional support is an absolute must for this situation. Dependant on the persons specific situation I would suggest appropriate adrenal/ovarian/testicular/H-P Axis Support. Chronic stress in our daily lives is killing us and it needs to be addressed and reversed. Please begin to enjoy your life just a little more.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
"Calorie Restriction" or "Why dieting Fails"
So, have you ever sat down at the mall and just "people watch"? I actually love to do this and as I watch the myriad of oddities go by I find myself wondering why there is such an overwhelming epidemic of obesity in this country!! I mean there are a ton of diet centers out there and about fifteen new diets come out each week that are published as the "next best thing". So my question inevitably is "Why are all these people grossly overweight? And if they diet, why do the majority fail horribly and gain back way more weight than when they started?
One of the major tenents that I try to teach my weight loss clients is the proper restriction of calories.
"Restricting Calories", in its simplest form seems like a great idea. If you think of the pure math involved if you take 500 calories per day out of your diet you should lose a pound of fat per week. If this really worked it would stand to reason that the more calories you restrict, the more fat you should lose per week. But, we all know that this is not the case. The body is way smarter than that. As we consume fewer calories the body is signaled that we may be in a a type of starvation mode and the body compensates by reducing the amount of important hormones that we need for metabolism and thyroid function. Plus even more detrimental I think is the body begins to increase the release of an enzyme called "lipoprotein lipase" which will conserve the food energy as FAT!!! Yep you heard me correctly, reduce your food intake too much and I gaurantee you that you will get FATTER!! You see your body starts to store the vital energy it needs to survive as FAT so that it will ensure its survival. Pretty amazing huh? The body actually knows better than we do how to keep living.
Sure initially the dieter who restricts calories will lose weight. That is inevitable. But, they will eventually get to that "Stall Point". Anyone who has ever dieted knows this point. It is what I consider the make or break point for dieters. Its where the rubber meets the road and most dieters fall off the wagon and bounce back to being heavier than before. The stall point is where you stop losing weight and no matter what you do, increase cardio, restrict calories further, you just cannot get those last few pounds off your frame. You know those areas, around the waist for men and around the thighs for women. So what the real deal here?
Allright I am now going to let you in on the big secret here. There are actually different receptors (called adrenoreceptors) that are in different adipose tissue. Fat cells have both B1 (beta 1) and A2 (alpha 2) receptors. B1 receptors are the "good guys" in that they send good messages to the body. Messages that activate Lipase which causes the fat cell to break down from a triglyceride to a free fatty acid. This free fatty acid can now be sent to be burned off for energy for the body. Noradrenaline ignites these B1 receptors so it stands to reason now why at the intial phases of a calorie-restrictive diet or when a person stresses the body with high intensity cardio that that person loses weight. So what about those nasty A2 receptors? Well they are technically the "Bad Guys" in this story. These are the dominant receptors in those stubborn fat reserve areas. They actually block Lipase activity and cause Triglyceride formation. They also decrease noradrenaline which results in decreased activity of B1 receptors.
So, whats the point? Low calorie diets increase A2 receptors.
Lastly, as the number of A2 receptors increase, the last of that fat becomes harder to mobilize so that the body actually has to recruit amino acids, from muscle tissue, for fuel. Huge Point Here: Low Calorie Diets have been shown to cause up to 45% lean body mass loss!! So when you finally give up, which most do, even "normal" eating will cause new fat accumulation right in the fat cells that have just increased their number of A2 receptors. Your Low calorie diet just made it exponentially harder to actually reach your fat loss goals.
One of the major tenents that I try to teach my weight loss clients is the proper restriction of calories.
"Restricting Calories", in its simplest form seems like a great idea. If you think of the pure math involved if you take 500 calories per day out of your diet you should lose a pound of fat per week. If this really worked it would stand to reason that the more calories you restrict, the more fat you should lose per week. But, we all know that this is not the case. The body is way smarter than that. As we consume fewer calories the body is signaled that we may be in a a type of starvation mode and the body compensates by reducing the amount of important hormones that we need for metabolism and thyroid function. Plus even more detrimental I think is the body begins to increase the release of an enzyme called "lipoprotein lipase" which will conserve the food energy as FAT!!! Yep you heard me correctly, reduce your food intake too much and I gaurantee you that you will get FATTER!! You see your body starts to store the vital energy it needs to survive as FAT so that it will ensure its survival. Pretty amazing huh? The body actually knows better than we do how to keep living.
Sure initially the dieter who restricts calories will lose weight. That is inevitable. But, they will eventually get to that "Stall Point". Anyone who has ever dieted knows this point. It is what I consider the make or break point for dieters. Its where the rubber meets the road and most dieters fall off the wagon and bounce back to being heavier than before. The stall point is where you stop losing weight and no matter what you do, increase cardio, restrict calories further, you just cannot get those last few pounds off your frame. You know those areas, around the waist for men and around the thighs for women. So what the real deal here?
Allright I am now going to let you in on the big secret here. There are actually different receptors (called adrenoreceptors) that are in different adipose tissue. Fat cells have both B1 (beta 1) and A2 (alpha 2) receptors. B1 receptors are the "good guys" in that they send good messages to the body. Messages that activate Lipase which causes the fat cell to break down from a triglyceride to a free fatty acid. This free fatty acid can now be sent to be burned off for energy for the body. Noradrenaline ignites these B1 receptors so it stands to reason now why at the intial phases of a calorie-restrictive diet or when a person stresses the body with high intensity cardio that that person loses weight. So what about those nasty A2 receptors? Well they are technically the "Bad Guys" in this story. These are the dominant receptors in those stubborn fat reserve areas. They actually block Lipase activity and cause Triglyceride formation. They also decrease noradrenaline which results in decreased activity of B1 receptors.
So, whats the point? Low calorie diets increase A2 receptors.
Lastly, as the number of A2 receptors increase, the last of that fat becomes harder to mobilize so that the body actually has to recruit amino acids, from muscle tissue, for fuel. Huge Point Here: Low Calorie Diets have been shown to cause up to 45% lean body mass loss!! So when you finally give up, which most do, even "normal" eating will cause new fat accumulation right in the fat cells that have just increased their number of A2 receptors. Your Low calorie diet just made it exponentially harder to actually reach your fat loss goals.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Are you "Skinny Fat"?
Ok so this is my first stab at this Blog thing that seems to be all the rage these computer days. It seems like a great idea for someone who loves to expound on a number of subjects that happen to be on their minds at that moment. But will people read it? That question has yet to be answered for me at least. Well, I will feel as if I have accomplished something, and at the very least I will have got things off my chest. So without further adoo...
Skinny Fat. I'm sure many of you are thinking well what the heck can that be? It seems like a contradiction in terms, like white black or up down but trust me when I tell you that you can definately be skinny fat and I have seen many people come into my office that are just that. Let me explain, a skinny fat person is a person whom you see outwardly as being thin and you think " in shape". They unfortunately may be under this same misconception. But, in reality they may actually be carrying more fat on their body's than they are aware of. So of course we get the response of " hey so what, at least you can't see that they're fat, and that's what counts right?" Wrong. You see being skinny fat means that you lost weight but in the wrong fashion. The body unfortunately would rather steal your muscle for energy than your fat reserves. So many people will look in the mirror or notice that their pants are looser and come to the eronious conclusion that they are now healthier via their weight loss. Once again wrong thinking. These poor people are now left in a disastrous state of health, seriously!! They have lost muscle and have taxed their bodies to do so and have ended up with the same amount of body fat than before they started. What is most startling is that much of that fat is what I call visceral fat, in other words it is fat that is surrounding your internal organs, BAD. This now becomes a serious health issue and leads to numerous disease states. People play this game all the time, following these fad diets or going to one of these numerous weight loss franchises ( I won't name names but you know them) and then they spring back a few months later actually gaining back more weight that they lost. Frustrating and dangerous.
So what is the solution? I would direct you to a site where they actually help you to lose just your body fat while actually gaining lean mass and improving your health at the same time. Awesome right? Well it works, and long term also. No bouncing back to your old former weighty self. They actually do this by changing your metabolism. Ok so enough said, there are way too many crazy diets out there that are dangerous so take it from a physician who knows and check out http://amstransformation.com and the 12 Week Transformation. You will not be disappointed. Additionally, I have joined with a diverse set of health care specialists to provide a holistic healing experience at CBHA Wellness & Spa (www.cbhawellness.com), located in Warminster, PA.
Skinny Fat. I'm sure many of you are thinking well what the heck can that be? It seems like a contradiction in terms, like white black or up down but trust me when I tell you that you can definately be skinny fat and I have seen many people come into my office that are just that. Let me explain, a skinny fat person is a person whom you see outwardly as being thin and you think " in shape". They unfortunately may be under this same misconception. But, in reality they may actually be carrying more fat on their body's than they are aware of. So of course we get the response of " hey so what, at least you can't see that they're fat, and that's what counts right?" Wrong. You see being skinny fat means that you lost weight but in the wrong fashion. The body unfortunately would rather steal your muscle for energy than your fat reserves. So many people will look in the mirror or notice that their pants are looser and come to the eronious conclusion that they are now healthier via their weight loss. Once again wrong thinking. These poor people are now left in a disastrous state of health, seriously!! They have lost muscle and have taxed their bodies to do so and have ended up with the same amount of body fat than before they started. What is most startling is that much of that fat is what I call visceral fat, in other words it is fat that is surrounding your internal organs, BAD. This now becomes a serious health issue and leads to numerous disease states. People play this game all the time, following these fad diets or going to one of these numerous weight loss franchises ( I won't name names but you know them) and then they spring back a few months later actually gaining back more weight that they lost. Frustrating and dangerous.
So what is the solution? I would direct you to a site where they actually help you to lose just your body fat while actually gaining lean mass and improving your health at the same time. Awesome right? Well it works, and long term also. No bouncing back to your old former weighty self. They actually do this by changing your metabolism. Ok so enough said, there are way too many crazy diets out there that are dangerous so take it from a physician who knows and check out http://amstransformation.com and the 12 Week Transformation. You will not be disappointed. Additionally, I have joined with a diverse set of health care specialists to provide a holistic healing experience at CBHA Wellness & Spa (www.cbhawellness.com), located in Warminster, PA.
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