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Stress and the Risk of Weight Gain

July 19, 2014

Stress and weight gain? Yes they are closely associated.  Recently published data from the Biological Psychiatry has closely examined the relationship.

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Background
Depression and stress promote obesity. This study addressed the impact of daily stressors and a history of major depressive disorder (MDD) on obesity-related metabolic responses to high-fat meals.

Methods
This double-blind, randomized, crossover study included serial assessments of resting energy expenditure (REE), fat and carbohydrate oxidation, triglycerides, cortisol, insulin, and glucose before and after two high-fat meals. During two separate 9.5-hour admissions, 58 healthy women (38 breast cancer survivors and 20 demographically similar control subjects), mean age 53.1 years, received either a high saturated fat meal or a high oleic sunflower oil meal. Prior day stressors were assessed by the Daily Inventory of Stressful Events.

Results
Greater numbers of stressors were associated with lower postmeal REE (p = .008), lower fat oxidation (p = .04), and higher insulin (p = .01), with nonsignificant effects for cortisol and glucose. Women with prior MDD had higher cortisol (p = .008) and higher fat oxidation (p = .004), without significant effects for REE, insulin, and glucose. Women with a depression history who also had more stressors had a higher peak triglyceride response than other participants (p = .01). The only difference between meals was higher postprandial glucose following sunflower oil compared with saturated fat (p = .03).

Conclusions
The cumulative 6-hour difference between one prior day stressor and no stressors translates into 435 kJ, a difference that could add almost 11 pounds per year. These findings illustrate how stress and depression alter metabolic responses to high-fat meals in ways that promote obesity.

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Stress indeed can bring about eating the wrong choice of food.  Almost always we can’t avoid stress BUT we can do something about it to avoid stress induced weight gain.

It has always been my recommendation to my patients that one way to avert the temptation of eating wrong foods is to stock our pantry and refrigerator with foods that are healthy like fruits or nuts so one can prepare healthy food choices instead.

 

Posted in Blogroll, General Health Tips, Medical News Bits, Nutrition Health Tips, Personal Thoughts, Weight Loss Tips | 6 Comments »
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The Amount of Exercise You need to Burn off Calories from eating a Burger…

April 26, 2013

Let me share you this link from Yahoo. Very interesting fact that one can use this strategy to lose weight.  Think how much exercise you need to do to burn off the calories from the food you re eating…

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Is a Burger Worth 7,500 Sit-Ups?

Most people have stared down a pint of ice cream or a bag of chips and tried to figure out how much more they’d need to work out in order to burn off the extra calories. Unfortunately, you can’t really eat whatever you want and just work out a little more later. “No, it is not an even exchange,” Franci Cohen, a personal trainer, certified nutritionist, and exercise physiologist in New York City, told Yahoo! Shine. “In fact, over-exercising will actually cause the muscles to break down instead of build up, and the metabolism slows down as a result of excess exercise as well.” Still, a Texas Christian University study of 300 adults presented at the Experimental Biology 2013 conference in Boston this week found that learning how much more you’d need to exercise to work off a burger was enough to make people pick a lower-calorie meal. Wondering if that candy bar is worth it? Here’s what it would take to work off some of our favorite indulgences. 

A single Whopper from Burger King is 630 calories, or the equivalent of spending an hour going full-tilt on the elliptical machine. Rather do sit-ups or crunches? You’ll have to bust out 7,500 of them. (All workout results calculated for a 140 pound woman, using exercise data from HealthStatus.com.)

Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food premium ice cream packs 280 calories into each 1/2-cup serving. That’s a little more than an hour’s worth of pumping iron. But who stops at a single serving? Eat the whole pint and do about five hours of weight lifting (or almost two hours of bare-handed rock climbing).

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I enjoyed reading the link that it makes us realize… fat is really from all the food we eat..and therefore…controlling ones desire to indulge is key to curbing  your appetite.

Indulge but only on occasions.

 

Posted in Healthy Practice Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Nutrition Health Tips, Weight Loss Tips | 2 Comments »

How To Lose Weight: A Novel Way To Teach Kids About Proper Nutrition

December 24, 2011

Recent article published in AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH brings us back to how fast our world is becoming obese and how slow we have been in addressing this issue.  The temptation to eat and the lack of discipline to follow what is right and adequate make each one of us vulnerable to this dreaded condition we call Obesity.

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Objectives. We examined the effect of an intervention to provide caloric information about sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) on the number of SSB purchases.

Methods. We used a case-crossover design with 4 corner stores located in low-income, predominately Black neighborhoods in Baltimore, Maryland. The intervention randomly posted 1 of 3 signs with the following caloric information: (1) absolute caloric count, (2) percentage of total recommended daily intake, and (3) physical activity equivalent. We collected data for 1600 beverage sales by Black adolescents, aged 12–18 years, including 400 during a baseline period and 400 for each of the 3 caloric condition interventions.

Results. Providing Black adolescents with any caloric information significantly reduced the odds of SSB purchases relative to the baseline (odds ratio [OR] = 0.56; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.36, 0.89). When examining the 3 caloric conditions separately, the significant effect was observed when caloric information was provided as a physical activity equivalent (OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.31, 0.85).

Conclusions. Providing easily understandable caloric information—particularly a physical activity equivalent—may reduce calorie intake from SSBs among low-income, Black adolescents.

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The study tells us one thing:

Letting out kids understand the nutrition information of the food they eat versus telling them how long they have to workout or exercise to burn the calories can make a difference.

The impact was noticeable more if kids understand how long they have to run to burn the amount of calories they ingested from the sugary drinks.  The easier it is for everyone to understand the equivalent amount of physical activity of what we take in makes sense.  You get a clearer picture of what you need to do to burn those calories.

A great article and a great wake up call for everyone.

AACE Philippines as part of our advocacy is providing modules to Grade school students on the Power of Prevention Through Fitness and Nutrition or POPFTN. For this year, we already have started the program and involved the Grade 5 students of St Bennedicts and for January, we will go to PAREF Springadale both in Cebu.  AACE Philippines as an organization composed of Endocrine Specialists dealing with Diabetes, Obesity and endocrine diseases hope to make a difference in the early lives of these kids.

Posted in Exercise and Activity Tips, General Health Tips, Healthy Practice Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Medical News Bits, Nutrition Health Tips, The Truths on Obesity, Weight Loss Tips | 1 Comment »

How Much Exercise is Needed to Lose the FAT?

November 26, 2009

It has been known that losing weight is a game of discipline and balance… Balance between food intake and physical activity. 

But what is not known is how much activity is needed to lose the fat inside the viscera or  abdomen known to be the Bad Fat!  Remember if you want to lose weight: the equation is more toward lesser intake of FOOD…  while If you want physical conditining and maintenance of weight, the balance points more to physical activity.

Now comes this interesting data that looked at this particular question.  How much exercise does one need to lose fat?  The study was published in journal  Obesity, Oct 8, 2009

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The purpose of this study was to determine what effect aerobic and resistance exercise training has on gain of visceral fat during the year following weight loss.

After being randomly assigned to aerobic training, resistance training, or no exercise training, 45 European-American (EA) and 52 African-American (AA) women lost 12.3 plusminus 2.5 kg on a 800 kcal/day diet. Computed tomography was used to measure abdominal subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue, whereas total fat and regional fat (leg, arm, and trunk) were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry after weight loss and 1 year following the weight loss. Because not all the subjects adhered to the 2 time/week 40 min/day exercise training during the 1-year follow-up, subjects were divided into five groups for analysis: aerobic adherers, aerobic nonadherers, resistance adherers, resistance nonadherers, and no exercise.

No significant differences were observed between the aerobic training and resistance training adherers for any variable. However, the aerobic (3.1 kg) and resistance (3.9 kg) exercise adherers gained less weight than any of the other three groups (all >6.2 kg).

In addition, the two exercise adherence groups did not significantly increase visceral fat (<0.8%) as compared with the 38% increase for the two nonadhering exercise groups and the 25% for the nonexercise group.

In Conclusion:

 As little as 80 min/week aerobic or resistance training had modest positive effects on preventing weight regain following a diet-induced weight loss. More importantly, both aerobic and resistance training prevented regain of potentially harmful visceral fat.

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I have been a  believer of this fact… that relying heavily on physical activity alone to help one lose weight is doomed to fail.  One needs to brisk walk for example around 70 minutes to burn 250 calories while eating french fries in a 5 minute snack time will already give you 320 calories!!!!

The above study points out the balance between cutting calories and physical activity.  The mere 80min per week exercise resulted in the prevention of weight regain after a diet induced weight loss … especially the prevention of the regain of the visceral fat which is considered the Bad fat!

Now that is definitely not difficult to do!!!!  How much more if we do physical activity on a daily basis?  Once you get used to it…you’re hooked. 

An example of being hooked: Just last night for example, I have to be in a symposium to give a lecture to cardiologists…but I really squeezed in at least a 20 min run prior to preparing for my talk…boy was it exhilirating to have sweat it out and boy was it refreshing afterwards!

No more excuses….

A little of something is better than Nothing….

Posted in Exercise and Activity Tips, General Health Tips, Healthy Practice Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Medical News Bits, Nutrition Health Tips, Personal Thoughts, The Truths on Obesity, Weight Loss Tips | 12 Comments »

Running and The Risk of Joint Disease…. Will My Jogging Cause Arthritis?

November 9, 2009

Not necessarily….

A 14 year prospective longitudinal study published in Arthritis Research and Therapy  involving  961 men and women, aged 50 and over, found results that will be good news to us runners all over the world.  I am not really a “runner” like my good friend Yong Larrazabal of the Cebu Doc Group of Hospitals but I do jog daily around 4k as my form of physical activity.

The study below clearly showed that “exercise was associated with a substantial and significant reduction in pain even after adjusting for gender, baseline BMI, and attrition”.  Read on………

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We studied the long term impact of running and other aerobic exercise on musculoskeletal pain in a cohort of healthy aging male and female seniors who had been followed for 14 years.

We conducted a prospective, longitudinal study in 866 Runners’ Association members (n = 492) and community controls (n = 374). Subjects were also categorized as Ever-Runners (n = 565) and Never-Runners (n = 301) to include runners who had stopped running.

Pain was the primary outcome measure and was assessed in annual surveys on a double-anchored visual analogue scale (0 to 100; 0 = no pain). Baseline differences between Runners’ Association members and community controls and between Ever-Runners versus Never-Runners were compared using chi-square and t-tests. Statistical adjustments for age, body mass index (BMI), gender, health behaviors, history of arthritis and comorbid conditions were performed using generalized estimating equations.

Runner’s Association members were younger (62 versus 65 years, p < 0.05), had a lower BMI (22.9 versus 24.2, p < 0.05), and less arthritis (35% versus 41%, p > 0.05) than community controls. Runners’ Association members averaged far more exercise minutes per week (314 versus 123, p < 0.05) and miles run per week (26 versus 2, p < 0.05) and tended to report more fractures (53% versus 47%, p > 0.05) than controls. Ever-Runners were younger (62 versus 66 years, p < 0.05), had lower BMI (23.0 versus 24.3, p < 0.05), and less arthritis (35% versus 43%, p < 0.05) than Never-Runners. Ever-Runners averaged more exercise minutes per week (291 versus 120, p < 0.05) and miles run per week (23 versus 1, p < 0.05) and reported a few more fractures (52% versus 48%, p > 0.05) than Never-Runners.

  • Exercise was associated with significantly lower pain scores over time in the Runners’ Association group after adjusting for gender, baseline BMI, and study attrition (p < 0.01). Similar differences were observed for Ever-Runners versus Never-Runners.
  • Consistent exercise patterns over the long term in physically active seniors are associated with about 25% less musculoskeletal pain than reported by more sedentary controls, either by calendar year or by cumulative area-under-the-curve pain over average ages of 62 to 76 years.

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 The above study only further confirms what other studies have shown in regards to the relationship between greater physical activity and the associated less pain and disability associated with a higher health related quality of life.  These studies refute the earlier claims and excuses of non exercisers that long term… runners will have debilitating arthritis or joint diseases!   For me…they are mere excuses for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.

An analogy to this finding would be our recommendations for people with heart attack.  A stressful activity may trigger the event BUT the long term risk is decreased by more activity.  As more physical activties with lifestyle change have been shown to be helpful long term in reducing risk for chronic debilitating diseases.

Take Home message of this all:  

  1. It is the ” too little activity over time” that may in fact be the primary cause of a large percentage of musculoskeletal injuries and NOT the other way around!   
  2. With the worldwide epidemic of obesity, diabetes and Hypertension, it is but prudent to suggest that too much exercise is not the major public health problem… rather it is the Inactivty that is a Problem and the associated diseases that come with it!

Remember….All the studies have proven so far that on the contrary… the more once moves the joints, the stronger they become to withstand injuries long term suggesting that indeed….

Lifetime physical activity Is Protective… to your joints, muscles and the whole physical being!

So guys…let’s all enjoy running!!!

Posted in Exercise and Activity Tips, General Health Tips, Healthy Practice Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Medical News Bits, Personal Thoughts, Weight Loss Tips | 6 Comments »

High Protein Diet and Alzheimers’ Dsiease: Is There a Link?

October 27, 2009

Go to fullsize imageThe famous FAD diet fo the century is the Atkins or High Protein diets.  Short term weight loss made these diets so popular that even the medical community has to take a second look.

One new possible side effect of  this FAD-  high protein diet is believed to be neurotoxicity that can possibly lead to premature aging or alzheimers disease. 

In a recent study published in Molecular Neurodegeneration, 2009, 4:40 (21 October 2009), animal studies involving mice that were fed with this kind of diet resulted in having brains that apprently shrank.  This clinically may therefore be relevant to the onset of forgetfulness in the long run to humans.

This study is experimental but may be a signal to further develop a prospective study to elucidate the important effects of a high protein diet in the brain on humans.  Whether this is true to any age group or not remains to be seen.

In my practice, I maybe a maverick in terms of  prescribing a specific diet plan for my pateints BUT ive always been against any FAD diets which I know will only result in short term results rather than long term outcomes.

Better Still… Be Well by Eating Right!

Posted in General Health Tips, Healthy Practice Tips, Medical News Bits, Nutrition Health Tips, The Truths on Obesity, Weight Loss Tips | 3 Comments »

Walk and Jog or The WOG… A Perfect Exercise!!!

July 7, 2009

Since the time Ive lost weight, Ive been apporached several times by my friends how I did it.  Ive posted in thia website my diet regimen…now I am posting my exercise routine.  To lose weight…the right food and the right discipline are both essential.  To maintain your weight, then the right kind of exercise that you feel good and you can do for years should be the best way to increase your metabolic rate!

Can we call it the WOG?  Short for Walk and Jog!!!

Ive been a brisk walker for sometime.  I find it a good exercise that’s not too tiring nor too destructive for my joints.  But overtime, after several articles touting the benefits of short bouts of exercise in between breaks that I thought of trying to alternate my walking exercise with jogging.

The intensity of exercise is more…the surge of adrenaline is more and boy…you feel better and better everytime you do the routine.  Lots and lots of sweat too!  Besides, you allow you body to rest in between the jogging by brisk walking.

Jogging being a high-intensity exercise kicks your metabolism up and by doing so,  your metabolic rate stays up longer (five times longer after a vigorous workout than after an easy one).   By doing the same routine, one therefore tends to add up the number of calories burned because the jogging can easily add up another 200 calories compared to walking alone.

Here’s what I do:

Before I walk, warming up by stretching the muscles is very important.  Then I start my brisk walking slowly increasing the pace  until I start jogging. 

 I then do the alternate walk and jog routine every 3 minutes until 40 to 40 minutes!!!!  

Initially it may seem “laborious” compared to walking alone but soon…you will be running a marathon as the running becomes easier.  But at this time, I have no plans to pursue a running career!  I just want to burn more calories and make myself healthier and hopefully avoid myself getting the risk of developing diabetes!

To stay Fit and Slim…Discipline is the KEY!

You are What You Eat and Do the WOG!

Posted in Exercise and Activity Tips, General Health Tips, Healthy Practice Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Nutrition Health Tips, Personal Thoughts, The Truths on Obesity, Weight Loss Tips | 4 Comments »

My Advise for a Practical and Doable Way to Lose Weight!

November 29, 2008

I happened to be in Manila yesterday to attend the blessing of our society’s AACE office then had a meeting till 12N then another meeting at 1PM then another event at 6:30 PM.  And throughout the day from the time I got to the airport to the time I was in the Blessing…I was asked only ONE question…How did I lose weight?!

Can you imagine me retelling the reason and the way I did to more than 15 people up to the time I got back to airport early morning today ….so I thought of this topic should be retold and discussed in my website….

The best way to help yourself avoid the probelms of the new century is to mainitain a healthy weight.  And if you are overweight then the best gift you can give to yourself for the holidays is to lose weight.  I did it for health reasons since I am at risk to become a diabetic being the youngest of a family of 9 with a mother who is a diabetic.

I am not a fan of any fad diet and will never be. I believe a high protein diet can help one lose weight but I dont believe it as the magic formula for wieght loss and I know the effect will not last long term.

My prescription for a successful weight loss is plain and simple cutting down on calorie intake PERIOD!  Sounds Boring but it works and heres how I did it:

Three key points: 1) set a goal 2) work on it 3) maintain on the strategy.

Simple way of cutting calories? Heres my Practical DOABLE advise:

Get a little rice, a serving of meat and veggies then eat… after the portions are consumed…assess if you still need more BUT NOT because you like the food BUT based on whether you’re still hungry or full already.  If you FEEL full…then stop…leave the table and o something else.  SIMPLE? yes… but in reality the temptation to eat more is so strong that if you dont have the DISCIPLINE to achieve the goal you have set for you to do… then the strategy will FAIL!  THAT’s IT!

That is my strategy..meaning…I eat what I like but I stop once I feel full. Simple and yet perfect in cutting down a lot of calories.

The problem with our society nowadays is that we use food for COMFORT…to Destress our minds…and to ENJOY but at the expense of HEALTH!

Then I do my afternoon exercise of enjoying my iPod while brisk walking. Enjoy the sceneries my friends…enjoy the fresh air and get out of your web!!!!

For the Holidays…Watch OUT for the FOOD!  Yummmy!!!!

Posted in General Health Tips, Healthy Practice Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Personal Thoughts, Weight Loss Tips | 7 Comments »

How to EAT and Lose Weight….

October 27, 2008

Go to fullsize imageMy previous posts have always been toward trying to help people lose weight.  I am one person following my own theories and they worked and are working up to now.  Here are the no-nonsense tips that I follow DAILY: 

If you want to lose weight…

  • EAT,  But stop when you feel you’re already FULL and Leave the table at once. 
  • CHEW your food properly so it will take time for you to finish a meal and by the time you’re halfway through…you’re FULL! 
  • Avoid the visual stimulation of food… the longer you stay in the table, the more likely you’ll eat more!

Then of course… you MOVE!

A recent article publsihed in the British Medical Journal confirms these basic prinicples:

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Participants 3287 adults (1122 men, 2165 women) aged 30-69 who participated in surveys on cardiovascular risk from 2003 to 2006.

Main outcome measures Body mass index (overweight 25.0) and the dietary habits of eating until full (lifestyle questionnaire) and speed of eating (validated brief self administered questionnaire).

Results 571 (50.9%) men and 1265 (58.4%) women self reported eating until full, and 523 (45.6%) men and 785 (36.3%) women self reported eating quickly. For both sexes the highest age adjusted mean values for height, weight, body mass index, and total energy intake were in the eating until full and eating quickly group compared with the not eating until full and not eating quickly group. The multivariable adjusted odds ratio of being overweight for eating until full was 2.00 (95% confidence interval 1.53 to 2.62) for men and 1.92 (1.53 to 2.40) for women and for eating quickly was 1.84 (1.42 to 2.38) for men and 2.09 (1.69 to 2.59) for women. The multivariable odds ratio of being overweight with both eating behaviours compared with neither was 3.13 (2.20 to 4.45) for men and 3.21 (2.41 to 4.29) for women.

Conclusion Eating until full and eating quickly are associated with being overweight in Japanese men and women, and these eating behaviours combined may have a substantial impact on being overweight.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ There you go…Simple tips and simple measures that will surely WORK for ALL!

Posted in General Health Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Medical News Bits, Nutrition Health Tips, Personal Thoughts, The Truths on Obesity, Weight Loss Tips | 4 Comments »

How To Be Active Without Trying….

October 22, 2008

Physical activity is part of the equation of fitness and weight maitenance. 

“Easier said than done”, everyone knows it best that exercise is key to a healthy lifestyle.  Excuses to avoid feeling guilty continue to be part of what makes us believe that we just dont have enough time to exercise!  But new studies have been published that physical activity need not be a structured time frame that we should follow … rather any activity should be the norm to our day to day life.  In short…as long as one does not follow a sedentary lifestyle… one should be better off following an active lifestyle.

Heres a new study Published in the journal Current Opinions in Endocrinology that proves nothing is better than just being active:

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Purpose of review: To discuss the potential importance of spontaneous physical activity in regulating body weight and outline possible reasons for the large interindividual variance in spontaneous physical activity.

Recent findings: Spontaneous physical activity is highly variable among people, with some having high levels and some low, and can contribute significantly to interindividual differences in total daily energy expenditure. Cross-sectionally, spontaneous physical activity is inversely related to body weight; however, more importantly, spontaneous physical activity is inversely associated with weight gain in prospective studies, and experimental weight perturbations do not appear to change spontaneous physical activity behavior. Spontaneous physical activity is a familial trait and is biologically influenced, although the environment exerts a significant impact.

Summary: Although spontaneous physical activity is a biologically driven behavior, interventions to increase nonexercise activity within the workplace and school hold promise in increasing daily energy expenditure for the average sedentary American. However, many large-scale efforts will need to take place within our sedentary-promoting environment to encourage more daily spontaneous physical activity-related activity.

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This new study tells us one thing: No more EXCUSES!!!!

Any spontaneous movement or activity is better.  Even fidgety movements while sitting down working on your computer and other daily tasks that require activity is more than enough for the body to be healthy.  Any household chores and any walking to the workplace or the act of getting something are activities of daily living that can help with energy expenditure. These nonexercise activities should not be a problem for anyone to follow.  Meaning NO MORE EXCUSES!

There you go… The best way to be active without really trying ( going to a gym) is to be more active in our day to day activities. Do it everyday and make it part of a habit and you’re on your way to healthier you!

Posted in Exercise and Activity Tips, General Health Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Medical News Bits, Personal Thoughts, Weight Loss Tips | 1 Comment »

High Protein Diets and Health…..

October 6, 2008

I am always asked regarding the best diet to have to lose weight. People tend to adhere to diet fads for easy way out.  But studies after studies have shown that a fad will always fade and therefore will not have long term success.

High protein diets initially were received with overwhelming rejection by the medical community.  However, although it is hard to accept, the usual recommendation of healthy diets recommended by authorities never were popular because these diets never resulted in significant weight loss. Until the high protein diet came into full force.

A new study published in Current Opinions in Endocrinology, 2008 that looked at evidence regarding the benefits of high protein diet show that this diet really works albeit so far only on short term basis.  But coupled with other lifestyle changes and discipline, I bet this is the diet that will work well with diabetic and obese people trying to shed some pounds with a long term aim of beng able to maintain their weights.

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Abstract:
Purpose of review: High-protein diets, often with carbohydrate restriction, are quite popular among overweight Americans pursuing strategies for weight control. Recently, well designed clinical trials have evaluated the anthropometric and metabolic effects of these diets. This review focuses on the impact of high-protein diets on energy expenditure and satiety; the diets’ effects on weight loss, body composition, cardiovascular risk, and glycemic control; and potential detrimental consequences of high-protein intake.

Recent findings:

  • Current evidence indicates that protein-induced energy expenditure and satiety contribute to weight control.
  • Randomized, controlled trials continue to show comparable, if not superior, effects of high-protein diets compared with lower protein diets on weight loss, preservation of lean body mass, and improvement in several cardiovascular risk factors for up to 12 months.
  • Evidence that chronic high-protein intake affects glucose metabolism is inconclusive at present.
  • Further study of the long-term safety of diets with varying amounts of protein is warranted.

Summary:

On the basis of patients’ metabolic profiles and preferences, practitioners can recommend individualized, nutrient-rich diets within current nutritional guidelines for weight control.

Diets moderately increased in protein and modestly restricted in carbohydrate and fat, particularly saturated fat, may have beneficial effects on body weight, body composition, and associated metabolic parameters.

Key issues must be resolved regarding the long-term compliance and safety of chronic high-protein intake.

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This diet resulted in sigificant wieght loss which in turn resulted in significant improvements in cholesterol, blood sugar and reductions in markers of cardiovascular risk like CRP.  Cosmetic PLUS health: a bonus!

So, do I recommend this diet to my patients.  Acutally YES.  I have my own dietician and I specifically formulate the plan for my patients with specifics in terms of percent calories per food group. The choice of protein source however is important because one may have a high protein source but also high in saturated fat and therefore harmful to the body example is s Steak!!!!  I dont advocate a No carbohydrate meal with the high proetein diet because long term this will never work.

Then of course, any meal plan as long as there is discipline, determination to do lifestyle change and maintain the good habit of healthy choices and good clean living should result in more success than you think!

We’ll await more long term studies on high protein diets.  So far however as long as one is careful not to harm the kidneys further with a high protein load, one should be cautious in recommneding this diet to patients with renal or kidney disease.

A Better Weight BY Eating Right!

Posted in General Health Tips, Medical News Bits, Personal Thoughts, Weight Loss Tips | Leave a Comment »

Quick Steps To Achieve Healthy Weight…

June 6, 2008

Go to fullsize imageI came across a well written short article on how to achieve a healthy weight.  The advises sound so simple yet precise and direct to the point of concern.  We tend to disregard simple measures in life and then look for rigorous steps to achieve our goal.  That’s where failure can set in.  Make things simple and Let them work for you….

Here’s the quick 5 steps to a healthy weight from the Harvard Medical Group: The Harvard School of Public Health

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1. Ban the strange diets. They may work in the short term, but almost any strange, extreme diet is doomed to fail. Your best friends when it comes to losing weight—and keeping it off? Choosing healthy foods and eating smaller portions, slowly.

2. Be more active. If there’s one best weight loss mantra it’s “exercise, exercise, exercise.” Choose activities you enjoy and do them every day. Exercising with a friend can help keep you on track. 

3. Turn off the television. Watching less TV can give you more time to be active—and less time to be enticed by junk food ads. Two easy ways to cut back on TV-watching: take the TV out of your bedroom, and make sure it’s off during meals.

4. Skip the sugary drinks. Drinking sugared soda, fruit drinks, or juice can give you several hundred calories a day without realizing it. Research suggests children and adults who drink soda or other sugary drinks are more likely to gain weight than those who don’t, and that switching from these to water or unsweetened drinks can reduce weight.

5. Think before you eat. Before you mindlessly reach for a snack, pause and ask yourself, Am I really hungry? Is there a healthier choice? It’s easy to lose sight of good food choices in today’s ad-crazy world. Simple questions like these can help keep us on track.

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Simple common sense tips for healthy living as well…

Live Life To The Fullest…By Living Healhty!

Posted in General Health Tips, Healthy Practice Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Medical News Bits, Nutrition Health Tips, Personal Thoughts, Weight Loss Tips | Leave a Comment »

Foods That Can Make Us Feel FULL….

May 12, 2008

Go to fullsize imageDifferent kinds of food give us different levels of satiety and the feeling of fullness.  You may not have realized it but in one meal, you get easily hungry in less than 2 hours and are wondering why this is so.

It is important for us to remember that the main role of food is solely to satisfy our craving, our hunger and definitely to provide us the needed calories for energy.  But the kind of food we eat will determine if we feel the feeling of satisfaction or not.  This satiety factor therefore will be a factor in making us eat more and therefore provide us with unecessary calories that make us gain weight!

What determines the feeling of fullness include the quantity of food we eat, the actual contents of the food and the texture including the smell.  Signals to the brain from the stomach make us feel satisfied or make us eat more.   

What foods can give us the highest satiety level? 

If your food contains a high level of protein, enough amounts of fiber and water, this food will give you the highest satisfaction rating.  In contrast foods high in fat will make you less satisfied and makes you want to eat more…this be the reason why a high fat diet makes you gain weight!  Intake of protein like a meal that includes fish meat or egg  gives a higher satiety level than carbohydrates.  But carbohydrate rich foods like pasta, rice or bread also provides a high satiety level. 

So to provide one with the highest satiety level of food for a meal… a whole grain bread with leans cuts of meat can provide a better satiety level and longer period of preventing hunger than if one eats a croissant!

The satiety factor of a food like glycemic index is just one of the many factors that affect the way we eat, the way we manage our lifestyle and the way we prevent weight gain. Complex factors come into play including social norms, culture and even mood in deciding whether we feel satisifed and enough food is enough for the meal!

The bottom line is: the higher the satiety factor the lesser we eat!  Likewise…my advise to all: once you feel full…then stop eating especially if you are indulging in a high carbohydrate meal!!!! Sometimes, its the great taste of food even if we are already full that makes us want to eat more. 

Dont be Fooled by Food…Be “Fulled” The Right Way!

Posted in General Health Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Nutrition Health Tips, Personal Thoughts, Weight Loss Tips | 1 Comment »

Wanna Lift Weights? Why Not?

March 15, 2008

When people talk about exercise… it is almost always synonymous to aerobic exercises like jogging, walking and dancing. Never does weight training come into the picture. Combining both should be better!

But why lift weights? Is it advantageous than just sweating it out by running?

A recent article from the Harvard HealthBeat beautifully illustrates the reasons  why:

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Muscle tissue, bone density, and strength all dwindle over the years. So, too, does muscle power. These changes open the door to accidents and injuries that can compromise your ability to lead an independent, active life. Strength training is the most effective way to slow and possibly reverse much of this decline.

Having smaller, weaker muscles doesn’t just change the way people look or move. Muscle loss affects the body in many ways. Strong muscles pluck oxygen and nutrients from the blood much more efficiently than weak ones. That means any activity requires less cardiac work and puts less strain on your heart.

Strong muscles are better at sopping up sugar in the blood and helping the body stay sensitive to insulin (which helps cells remove sugar from the blood). In these ways, strong muscles can help keep blood sugar levels in check, which in turn helps prevent or control type 2 diabetes and is good for the heart. Strong muscles also enhance weight control.

On the other hand, weak muscles hasten the loss of independence as everyday activities — such as walking, cleaning, shopping, and even dressing — become more difficult. They also make it harder to balance your body properly when moving or even standing still, or to catch yourself if you trip. The loss of power compounds this.

Perhaps it’s not so surprising that, by age 65, one in three people reports falls. Because bones also weaken over time, one out of every 20 of these falls ends in fracture, usually of the hip, wrist, or leg. The good news is that the risk of these problems can be reduced by an exercise and fitness routine that includes strength training.

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As we prevent complications from illnesses to happen…we also should have this obligation to live longer but healthier! And one sure thing to accomplish this goal is to exercise regularly and exercise the right way!

Incorporating weight training to your regimen not only strengthens muscles but likewise prevents obesity since the more muscle you have, the less fat you get and the more metabolically active the muscle mass is compared to fat! As a result you likewise help prevent the onset of chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension!

I do incorporate weights into my exercise regimen. I don’t go to the gym but after my sit-ups in the morning, I then do my routine abdominal twisting disc then do the weights using the arm band that you can buy in sports shops, or my barbell weights. You can likewise do the tiptoe setup by putting you two hands on the wall then tiptoe to raise yourself as high as you can then hold it for few seconds then repeat it 8 to 10 x daily!

Simple Rules and Simple Measures For a Healthier You!

Posted in Exercise and Activity Tips, General Health Tips, Healthy Practice Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Medical News Bits, Weight Loss Tips | 3 Comments »

The Pedometer: “Small But Terrific” Gadget for Losing Weight

March 12, 2008

Go to fullsize imageObesity continues to be a problem worldwide.  Measures to make people lose weight have made a lot of entrepreneurs out of doctors from selling miracle drugs to lose weight to marketing centers promising dramatic weight loss.  The bottom line however continues to be the need to incorporate lifestyle change to every measure that we implement in increasing chances to a successful weight loss.

The pedometer is one such gadget that is small and handy but a powerful tool to help patients lose weight.  A new meta-analysis published recently in the Annals of Family Medicine showed the effectiveness of this gadget in curbong obesity.

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RESULTS Nine studies met the study inclusion criteria. Cohort sample size ranged from 15 to 106, for a total of 307 participants, 73% of whom were women and 27% of whom were men. The duration of the intervention ranged from 4 weeks to 1 year, with a median duration of 16 weeks. The pooled estimate of mean weight change from baseline using a fixed-effects model and combining data from all 9 cohorts was –1.27 kg (95% confidence interval, –1.85 to –0.70 kg). Longer intervention duration was associated with greater weight change. On average, participants lost 0.05 kg per week during the interventions.

CONCLUSION Pedometer-based walking programs result in a modest amount of weight loss. Longer programs lead to more weight loss than shorter programs.

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What This Study Found as stated by the Editors of the AFM “In Brief”:

 Walking programs that use a pedometer as a motivational tool result in a moderate amount of weight loss in overweight or obese sedentary adults. The average participant in a pedometer-based walking program without dietary change can expect to lose about 1 pound every 10 weeks, or about 5 pounds per year. Longer programs are associated with greater weight loss.

Implications

  • The amount of weight loss from pedometer-based walking programs is small but significant from a clinical perspective.
  • Walking programs that use pedometers can have health benefits that are associated with both a modest weight loss and increased physical activity.

Small Steps Can Lead to Big Changes in Health!!!

Posted in General Health Tips, Healthy Practice Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Medical News Bits, Personal Thoughts, The Truths on Obesity, Weight Loss Tips | 8 Comments »

Want Your Kids To Lose Weight?

March 5, 2008

Go to fullsize imageA new study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine showed that cutting TV and Computer time can increase a child’s chances of controlling and losing weight. 

In a prepared statement from the authors…they theorized that:

  • “Television viewing is related to consumption of fast food and foods and beverages that are advertised on television,”
  • “Viewing cartoons with embedded food commercials can increase choice of the advertised item in preschoolers, and television commercials may prompt eating.”

The bottom line is: by restricitng TV time then the children can do other physical activites aside from benefiting from less exposure to food ads and therefore less chances for them to eat unhealthy junk.

My kids love cartoons and of course computer games.  But they’re off limits during school days.  Only when they finish their study period earlier that I allow them to play their PSP but restiricted to 30 minutes only.  The kid’s room has no cable so they cant watch cartoon network or other cable channels where junk food ads are in abundance.  They can however watch cartoon movies where I know nothing out of the box commercials promoting something I dont agree with will pop out in surprise!

I am a true follower of the above regulation in our house with regard to restricting TV and computer times and glad to say am pretty successful with my kids school and study habits PLUS improving their …

Health Through Better Nutrition and Discipline!

Posted in General Health Tips, Healthy Practice Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Medical News Bits, Weight Loss Tips | 1 Comment »

Obesity Surgery for Diabetes: A Cure?

February 28, 2008

It is known that obesity links patients to chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  These conditions then increase one’s risk to suffer from stroke and heart attack.  Ideally therefore, if only we can make all patients lose weight, then the burden of these chronic conditions from developing can be dramatically reduced.  Unfortunately telling patients to be careful with what they eat and to be physically active can be a daunting task.

What about obesity surgery?  Is it an effective way to lose weight? 

Gastric Banding is indeed one shortcut way of losing weight.  Our center has been active in handling patients wanting to lose weight using this less invasive procedure BUT will it’s weight loss translate to better health?  IT DOES… concludes a recent study published in JAMA which is an Unblinded randomized controlled trial conducted from December 2002 through December 2006 at the University Obesity Research Center in Australia

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Of the 60 patients enrolled, 55 (92%) completed the 2-year follow-up.

  • Remission of type 2 diabetes was achieved by 22 (73%) in the surgical group and 4 (13%) in the conventional-therapy group.
  • Relative risk of remission for the surgical group was 5.5.
  • Surgical and conventional-therapy groups lost a mean (SD) of 20.7% (8.6%) and 1.7% (5.2%) of weight, respectively, at 2 years 
  • Remission of type 2 diabetes was related to weight loss and lower baseline HbA1c levels
  • There were no serious complications in either group.

Conclusions:

Participants randomized to surgical therapy were more likely to achieve remission of type 2 diabetes through greater weight loss. These results need to be confirmed in a larger, more diverse population and have long-term efficacy assessed.

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The procedure used in the study was the less invasive laparoscopic gastric band where a band is surgically placed on top of the stomach. An access port is then secured closer to the skin where a saline solution can be injected into to fill up the circular inflation membrane, making the band tighter.  As a result it constricts the stomach opening, and reduces the amount of space inside, giving the patient an earlier feeling of fullness, limiting food consumption.

Finally, this study confirms that indeed weight loss is the key to better control… either achieved by proper diet and physical activity or through surgery. 

Weight Loss For Cure and Health!

Posted in General Health Tips, Medical News Bits, The Truths on Obesity, Weight Loss Tips | 6 Comments »

The Motivation To Lose Weight….

November 30, 2007

Go to fullsize imageI just found this new finding very intriguing and really true.  We doctors need to know what motivates people to lose weight so we can focus our attention to achieve the goal with more success.

In one study done in University of Bath in UK revealed some interesting facts:

“Fear of looking unattractive can be a stronger motivation for keeping people going to the gym than the hope of looking good”

This is really something… I guess this is where marketing strategies of beauty products are engaged in. You see beautfiul actresses marketing beauty products luring women to use the same products so as to look like them!  And I guess they’re pretty successful.

But what happens is when fear can motivate people to lose weight and look good…  once that fear subsides, either because they feel they have lost weight and now look good.. the motivation from fear goes away.  And I believe this is one reason why the yo-yo phenomenon in losing weight comes in.  You lose now then you gain….

Motivating people using the positive outlook should be the way to go.  How losing weight results now in better health  for a more lasting effect!

Motivating Poeple The Right Way Is Key To Better Health and Better Life!


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Notes From Our Marketing Friends: 

People are becoming fitness freaks and are very conscious to lose weight. Many health centers and weight loss centers provide people with healthy weight loss program. This includes many supplementary diets like the south beach diet and many others. However such diets must not be taken without consulting the physicians.
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Posted in Exercise and Activity Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Medical News Bits, Personal Thoughts, The Truths on Obesity, Weight Loss Tips | 5 Comments »

Resting To Burn Fat Faster….

November 24, 2007

exerc.jpgHere’s one good news to those who hate long hours of exercise to get a benefit! 

A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology this June of 2007  showed that:

“repeated bouts of exercise cause enhanced fat metabolism compared with a single bout of prolonged exercise of equivalent total exercise duration.”

The exercise regimen that they tested?

… Exercise for 30 minutes…take a break for 20 minutes… then exercise again for 30 min…. 

The rest period resulted in more fats being burned than no rest period at all…

So just like any activity… the body needs to rest and rejuvenate!

Remember…

Overdoing Even A Good Thing May Do More Harm!!!

 

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Notes From Our Marketing Friends: 

One should apply healthy cleaning strategies at ones home. Use dust cleaners to avoid dust allergy. Many sort of allergies lead to serious diseases like eczema etc. Go for proper eczema treatment is you are suffering form eczema. Dirty carpets are the source of much kind of allergies. Use handy vacuum cleaner to ensure the complete cleanliness of the carpets.
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Posted in Exercise and Activity Tips, General Health Tips, Healthy Practice Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Medical News Bits, Weight Loss Tips | Leave a Comment »

More Sleep Time To Prevent Childhood Obesity

November 22, 2007

Go to fullsize imageChildhood Obesity is getting to be a huge problem not only in developed countries but worldwide!  The AACE Philippine Chapter in fact recently launched our Power of Prevention Program aimed at preventing Obesity among children where different school prinicpals and administrators were invited to the launching initially to involve Metro Manila school children. 

Now comes a remedy to wegiht gain among children that we can do at home!  A new interesting study was recenlty published in Pediatrics November 2007 issue , linking the lack of sleep or inadequate sleep among children and the risk of being overweight.

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Of 785 children, 50% were male, 81% were white, and 18% were overweight in 6th grade.

  • Shorter sleep duration in 6th grade was independently associated with a greater likelihood of overweight in 6th grade.
  • Shorter sleep duration in 3rd grade was also independently associated with overweight in 6th grade, independent of the child’s weight status in 3rd grade.
  • Sleep problems were not associated with overweight.

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So how many hours of sleep should our children have?  This study provided us some insights:

  • Sixth-graders with less than 8.5 hours of sleep a night had a 23 percent rate of obesity,
  • Well-rested peers with more than 9.25 hours of sleep had at 12 percent rate of obesity.

For me this study tells us one thing:

  • By putting your kids to sleep earlier… means less TV time…means less chances to munch on junk food…resulting in a lesser risk to gain weight!
  • Sleep is as important as healthy food and physical activity when it comes to Weight control.

Put Premium on Sleep Than Being Awake Especially For Our Children!

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Notes From Our Marketing Friends: 

There are many sensitive issues that a lactating mother must be keeping in mind. During lactation mother should follow healthy food recipes to avoid any kind of deficiency in her. As a lactating mother feeds her baby on her milk, so she should take complete care her breasts. There are many lactation equipments now available in the market that helps a mother to nourish her baby with her milk. These include medela breast pump, maternity bras and large cup nursing bras etc.
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Posted in General Health Tips, Healthy Practice Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Medical News Bits, Weight Loss Tips | 2 Comments »

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