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The Healthy Binger

Written on April 2nd, 2013 at 7:25 pm in Diet Protocols,Diets,Weight Loss in Maryland

So I am sitting at the airport this very moment and across from me is a beautiful young woman with her carry-on bags and a large cooler food bag. About 10 minutes ago she pulled out a small baggie of cut apples and began to eat. There is something about how she is eating…looking at the slices….placing it in her mouth…and chewing quickly, swallowing fast and shoving another slice before it seems like she even tasted the last one. The bag of apple slices is empty now. She then reaches into this fancy food bag and pulls out a yogurt granola bar. It is small, you know…one of those “diet bars.” She bites into it and as with the demise of the apple slices, so goes the yogurt bar. Then, she reaches into the bag again and pulls out another bar, looks around and it disappears into her gut. It is then that I really notice the bag…It is more like a large purse, you know, the fancy big New York purses. It is large and full of foods. I assume they are health foods like what I am currently watching her eat. She is a “Healthy Binger.”

She is overweight. I see people like this all the time in public, in my clinic, everywhere. I can visualize her now grocery shopping….picking out “diet foods.” I know she is thinking she is eating in a healthy way. Justifying each bite with the fact that the food she is eating is healthy. But she is binging. As I am writing this she is eating a 3rd granola bar and washing it down with a diet soda.

I often wonder when overweight patients tell me that they eat healthy foods all the time if they are “Healthy Bingers” or are perhaps addicted to food or the physical act of eating. I ask them and they usually tell me they think they are eating the right portions. I think it is kind of like when I ask patients how many fruits and vegetables they eat each day. The answer is almost always “oh, about 4 or 5 servings.” Then when I specifically ask what they ate today or yesterday, they realize they overestimate how many servings of fruits and veggies they really eat each day.

How do I approach this issue? It is a difficult one. I feel that keeping a diet diary; just writing down what you actually eat each day, can help you realize exactly what it is you really do eat each day. How many servings of fruit and fresh veggies do you actually eat each day? It is fine to eat a large amount of those fresh whole foods. They come with the fiber and natural enzymes that help you metabolize and maintain proper physiology. However, the calories in all those “healthy snacks” you eat each day add up and are not so natural. Those “diet bars” and small “diet cookies and diet pretzels” have more processed and simple sugars than you think. A snack is supposed to be just that…… a snack, not a meal between meals.
She is still sitting in front of me. She just pulled out a bag of chips. The chip bag looks fancy, like diet chips. Still eating…

Dr.G

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APRIL IS STRESS AWARENESS MONTH

Written on March 28th, 2013 at 7:11 pm in Wellness Care

For the majority of Americans, our daily lives are often full of stress, both at home and on the job. Unfortunately, for many of us, stress has become so commonplace that we now consider it as part of our normal way of life.

Stress isn’t always bad, however. It can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best, for instance, when giving a presentation, or save your life in an emergency situation, such as stomping on the brakes to avoid a car accident. But when stress starts to become chronic, it can cause major damage to your health.

Prolonged and chronic stress can have a detrimental and lasting effect on your health. It can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up the aging process. Long-term stress can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety and depression. Alarmingly, it is estimated that nearly 80-90 percent of doctor visits are due to stress-related illness or conditions.

Although symptoms of stress can vary from person to person, there are some common ones that present themselves. These include, but are not limited to, pain of any kind, heart disease, digestive problems, sleep problems, frequent colds, headaches, depression, obesity, autoimmune diseases, alcohol or substance abuse and skin conditions.

If you’re experiencing any of the warning signs of stress, it’s important to take action quickly and to see your doctor for a full and thorough physical evaluation, which may include labs for cholesterol, hormone levels, thyroid and any others that might be recommended. Be prepared to have a frank discussion with your physician about what’s going on in your life and your level of stress so that, together, you can work to reduce its harmful impact on your health.

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Beat the Cost of Fat With the hCG Protocol

Written on March 22nd, 2013 at 7:02 pm in hCG Weight Loss,Weight Loss in Maryland

Heavy individuals have to spend more on health care—pretty straightforward. The more you weigh, the more likely you are spending more on not only health care, but also on weight loss programs, supplements, and diets. Worse, you may perpetually spend money only to find yourself at the same weight in which you began. According to the National Business Group on Health, the annual medical expenditure for a person with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 is $1,938, BMI of 30 $2,086, BMI of 35 $2,963, BMI of 40 $5,510 and BMI of 45 over $13,000! Worse, employers will generally charge individuals with higher BMI extra for their health insurance. Did you know if you are overweight and you lose 10 percent of your body weight, you will significantly improve your health even if you are still overweight?

Challenges of Weight Loss

Unfortunately, trying to lose weight on your own and keep it off without professional guidance is difficult. Worse, there is no real one stop shopping for a true overall approach to weight loss. Here are the numbers:

The cost per pound of the “Big Three” major commercial weight loss programs Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, and Jenny Craig was reported in a June 2011 Money Magazine report. Weight Watchers averaged $97/pound, NutriSystem averaged $130 to $139/pound, and Jenny Craig averaged $131 to $174/pound. They also looked at a generalized dietitian-tailored diet which averaged $118 to $126/pound. In general, all of these programs have been shown in studies to work in the short course. None of these, however, offers physician directed evaluation of how your physiology and hormones are affecting your difficulty for weight loss. So if you have an undiagnosed pre-hypothyroid condition, a low testosterone issue, low Vitamin D levels, which directly affects how insulin drives glucose into every cell in your body, a pre-diabetes issue, or other combination of endocrine issues, then you are throwing money away. Do you see yourself eating NutriSystem food for the rest of your life? What is the plan to maintain the weight loss you have worked for with each of these systems?

Benefits of the hCG Protocol

On the hCG Protocol the average cost per pound would be between $40 to $50. What do you get with the hCG protocol that you don’t with the “Big Three?” You get a physician’s direct involvement, a full evaluation of a complete metabolic blood panel, you get true metabolism improvement, and you get the tools to maintain your weight loss without having to do the protocol. Now this is an unfair comparison to the “Big Three.” The hCG Protocol is not meant to be followed as a standard diet to maintain the weight loss. It is meant to improve your metabolism with medical supervision. But that is what you want. More importantly, the ability to maintain that weight loss as you age.

Call us or contact us online to learn more about the hCG protocol.

Be Well,
Dr.G

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The Magic Pill

Written on March 12th, 2013 at 7:29 pm in Uncategorized,Weight Loss in Maryland,Wellness Care

Today a patient brought me a Magic Pill. She thought it could fix her high cholesterol, bowel issues and pre-diabetes problems. She ordered this pill, a supplement touted as a cure for her gut problem which would also “cure” her high cholesterol and diabetes. In fact, the mailer she learned about this pill from said it would put hospitals out of business in 5 years. Funny, I received a mailing last week saying the pill they were touting would put doctors out of business by 2014. This patient has been seeing me over the last few months for weight management and hormone imbalance issues. She wanted my opinion on this pill.

I said, “I suggest start exercising regularly and follow my advice on improving your diet to improve your metabolism and lose weight.” Then I tactfully went on to let her know this pill is not the answer to all her problems but I would look closer into the ingredients, the science that supports it and try to find someone who this has helped. She then said, “But should I begin taking this pill now to see if it will work?” I looked her straight in the eye and said, “Regular exercise and following the program I outlined for you to improve your metabolism will guarantee you will lose weight and improve your health.” I went on to let her know this pill is unlikely to do so and will not likely put hospitals out of business in 5 years. Then she said, “But I think this might help so I will take it if you don’t think it will hurt.”

I almost let it go at that but I could not help myself, “Ms. M, You weigh 255 pounds. Your cholesterol is 256, your Vitamin D level is 12, your other hormones are out of whack and you refuse to exercise and eat properly. You are wasting your money and your time. You are looking for a lazy way out and this pill will not fix your cholesterol, gut issues or your looming cliff of diabetes. In fact, it enables you to ignore my advice, which is dangerous to you. Begin exercising and follow my protocol or you will continue to get worse and then we will need to deal with your new problems that you are asking for.”

She looked at me, put the pills in her bag and said, “I will try these pills. Maybe they will help.” I was not even sure I thought I was in the same room, let alone the same conversation with this patient.

This is not an unusual conversation for me at the clinic. I have this type of interaction in one form or another every week. People are looking for that Magic Pill or Simple Solution to complex health issues. In fact, many people come in to my office expecting, nay, demanding that I give them “The Answer” to all their medical issues without taking the first steps to promote their own health. I have news: There is no Magic Pill or Single Answer. But there are purposeful steps to take to improve your own health. First, understand that food is the most powerful medication for improved health. Proper diet is key to disease prevention and optimizing your health. Second, exercise, regular exercise of any kind should be as important in your daily activity as brushing your teeth. Make it a real habit to just MOVE, to do anything from a 10 minute stretch and breathing exercise to a 20 to 30 minute cardio workout 3 to 4 times a week. Do more if you can, but don’t do less. Simply be CONSISTENT. Excuses are stories we tell ourselves to make us feel better about not doing what needs to be done. We like to share these stories to try to get others to feel better about us not doing something that needs to be done. Stop making excuses about not eating better and not exercising.

The Magic Pill is simple. Stop with the excuses and just do what you know needs to be done.

Dr. G

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Good Night!

Written on February 28th, 2013 at 7:05 pm in Uncategorized

Sleep is vital to our well-being – physically, mentally and emotionally. A surprising number of vital tasks are carried out during sleep that help maintain good health and enable us to function at our very best during the day. For instance, during sleep, your brain forms pathways that are necessary for learning, creating memories and developing new insights. Lack of sleep has been associated with mood problems, and there is growing evidence that it can also increase the risk for developing obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other serious health issues. Healthy adults generally need between 8 and 8 ½ hours per night on average, though this can vary more or less, depending on an individual’s sleep needs. Most medical experts agree that at least 4-5 hours of unbroken, or quality, sleep is necessary for you to feel energized and ready to take on the world the next morning. Sleep well!

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Exercise May Reduce Dementia Risk

Written on February 28th, 2013 at 7:03 pm in Uncategorized

As if you needed another reason to exercise, a recent study indicates that being physically fit in midlife can lower the risk of dementia. The fitness levels of nearly 20,000 adults were studied over a 24-year period, most of whom were men and women in their 40s and 50s. Those that exercised regularly were found to have a 36 percent reduced risk of developing dementia. The physical activity guidelines, recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, call for 150 minutes per week, or about 30 minutes a day, of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity or an equivalent combination of the two. Even people who are past midlife can still make changes. It’s never too late to reap the health and cognitive benefits of exercise.

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Antioxidant Lutein for Eye Health

Written on February 28th, 2013 at 6:45 pm in Supplements,Uncategorized,Wellness Care

Studies have shown that lutein is an effective antioxidant which has been proven to reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other eye diseases such as cataracts. Lutein protects the eyes from harmful high-energy light waves, such as some ultraviolet rays in sunlight. Studies suggest that high levels of lutein in eye tissue are associated with better vision, especially in dim light or where glare is a problem. Your body does not make lutein so proper nutrition is essential. Lutein is found in dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale. Other foods rich in lutein include collard greens, turnip greens, corn, green peas and broccoli. Daily supplements can also provide the proper amount of this antioxidant for optimal eye health. Check with your doctor for additional guidance. Call Atlantis Medical Wellness Center to learn about Dr. G’s favorite lutein supplement.

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