 Better health happens with better nutrition We regularly coach patients on dietary changes that will gradually improve their health, but we are often asked what can be done to see dramatic changes in a short period of time. For these patients we have specialized nutrition programs that allow them to see quick progress and leave no doubt in their mind about the power of nutrition.
Well-designed nutrition programs can give you a quick boost in the right direction AND help you set better lifestyle habits for long term health. It's never about a quick fix. It's about a quick start to better health that lasts a lifetime. 21-day Purification Program Standard Process' 21-day Purification Program is the oldest and most popular nutrition program we've offered patients at our clinic. At this point, we have seen positive changes with just about every health problem you can imagine - allergies, asthma, skin problems, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, stress, digestive problems, aches & pains, anxiety, sleep problems, overweight... It's amazing how quickly the body can change when we focus on eating ONLY nutrient dense foods and provide extra support from whole food supplements. It's not about taking some chemical to flush you out. It's not about stopping eating and taking a diet drink. It's about eating the most nutritious foods you can and learning to establish healthy habits. It's also a lot of fun for us. 10-day Nutrition Programs For those patients that aren't ready for a full 21-day program or are looking for something more specific to their individual needs, we now offer 10-day nutrition programs. These also focus on eating the most nutritious foods, while including supplements that target the desired health problem or goal. Anti-inflammation Program Inflammation is involved to some degree in just about every health problem, and the average American is driving up their systemic inflammation with poor eating habits. This nutrition program targets inflammation to reduce it as quickly as possible - naturally - to avoid the side effects of anti-inflammatory medications. Balanced Blood Sugar Program With diabetes and blood sugar handling problems hitting epidemic levels, this program provides a natural solution to control blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity. Women's Vitality Program Hormonal imbalance in cycling and non-cycling women can cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. This nutrition program helps balance hormones naturally to reduce the discomfort and symptoms so commonly noted. What's right for you? If you are not sure, ask our doctors or attend one of our monthly nutrition classes for more information. Our goal with every patient is to see enough improvement that there is no doubt in your mind as to the power of better nutrition, and these nutrition programs help us do that.
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 Worried about diabetes? Sleep more, eat less rice. Two studies on diabetes have been in the news recently. One looked at the relationship of diabetes and consumption of white rice, while the other looked at diabetes and sleep.
Diabetes & Rice Consumption A meta-analysis reviewed four studies covering 13,284 cases of type 2 diabetes among 352,384 participants over 4 to 22 years. The researchers found those eating the highest amount of white rice have a 27% greater risk of developing diabetes. Results showed with each increase in rice serving per day, risk of type 2 diabetes rose by 11%. These results are not surprising considering white rice is a processed food that is high in carbohydrates. Processed grains tend to spike blood sugar levels and increase insulin resistance, leading to a higher risk of diabetes or worsening of the condition for those who already have it. Even whole grains like whole brown rice or wild rice should be consumed in limited quantities to avoid their high level of sugars. Further research has linked reduced insulin sensitivity to increased inflammation, which leads to a variety of chronic health problems. To reduce your risk of diabetes and other chronic problems, avoid processed/refined grains and limit whole grains in your diet. Diabetes & Sleep Prior population studies have indicated there is a link between lack of sleep and increased risk of diabetes and chronic conditions. Researchers have now published the results of an experiment that confirmed the link in a lab. "Healthy adults spent >5 weeks under controlled laboratory conditions in which they experienced [optimal] sleep, 3 weeks of sleep restriction (5.6 hours of sleep per 24 hours) combined with [abnormal day length], followed by 9 days of recovery sleep with [normal 24 hour days]." The researchers checked blood sugar levels throughout the experiment and found an increase in blood sugar when sleep was restricted or disrupted. Once sleep returned to normal, blood sugar levels improved again. Researchers concluded that restricted or disrupted sleep "alters metabolism and could increase the risk of obesity and diabetes." Our advice may not be easy, but it is simple: sleep well. And if you really want to avoid diabetes, don't wake up in the middle of the night to eat rice. It's hard to keep up with all of the recent health news, so here's a rundown on the latest.  Sleeping Pills Called 'as Risky as Cigarettes' Study Links Sleeping Pills to 4.6-Fold Higher Death Risk WebMD recently reported on research that showed a surprisingly high death rate related to taking sleeping pills. Researchers estimate that sleeping pills are linked to 320,000 to 507,000 U.S. deaths each year: The top third of sleeping-pill users had a 5.3-fold higher death risk. They also had a 35% higher risk of cancer, the study found. "We are not certain. But it looks like sleeping pills could be as risky as smoking cigarettes. It looks much more dangerous to take these pills than to treat insomnia another way," study leader Daniel F. Kripke, MD, tells WebMD. The sleeping pills in question are known as hypnotics. They include newer drugs such as zolpidem (the best known brand name is Ambien) as well as older drugs such as temazepam (the best known brand name is Restoril). In their latest study, Kripke's team analyzed 2002-2007 data from a large Pennsylvania health system. They obtained medical records for 10,529 people who were prescribed hypnotic sleeping pills and for 23,676 matched patients who were never prescribed sleeping pills. "We think these sleeping pills are very dangerous. We think they cause death. We think they cause cancers," Kripke says. "It is possible but not proven that reducing the use of these pills would lower the U.S. death rate." You may want to consider alternatives when possible. Natural sleep aids like melatonin were not linked to these risks. Read the full story here on WebMD. More Evidence Omega-3 Rich Diet May Protect Aging Brain Medscape Medical News recently reported on research published in the Journal of Neurology that indicates increased omega-3 fat consumption is beneficial for brain health: New data from the Framingham Offspring Study cohort suggest that higher dietary intake of the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) may help protect the aging brain. Results showed that lower red blood cell (RBC) levels of DHA and EPA in late middle age were associated with smaller brain volumes and a "vascular" pattern of cognitive impairment, even in persons free of clinical dementia. "People with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids had lower brain volumes that were equivalent to about 2 years of structural brain aging," study author Zaldy S. Tan, MD, MPH, from the Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research and the Division of Geriatrics, University of California, Los Angeles, comments in a written statement. This study, Dr. Tan told Medscape Medical News, "adds to the current body of evidence on the beneficial health effects of omega-3 fatty acids." However, he said, it is premature to make clinical recommendations solely based on this study. "It needs to be validated in other populations and extended to clinical trials, which may be able to provide more specific recommendations." "With that said, people who are already consuming fish as part of a balanced diet can take stock in the promising findings of this study that omega-3 fatty acid may benefit not only their heart but their brain as well," Dr. Tan said. The findings were published in the February 28 issue of Neurology. Read the Medscape article here. If you're not including fish in your diet, add it or add a good quality fish oil to supply your omega-3 fats. Statin Labels Will Come With New Safety Warnings
CNN reported on changes in labeling for cholesterol medications, which will warn of newly recognized risks: An entire class of statin drugs will get new labels that alert the public to safety concerns, the Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday. Statins, which treat cholesterol, now will come with labels that include a warning that the drugs, taken by almost 32 million Americans, can cause memory loss and confusion. The FDA says reports in general have not been serious, and the symptoms subsided when patients stopped taking the medications. The new labeling will also warn doctors and patients that statins can cause hyperglycemia, an increase in blood sugar levels and increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Amy Egan, deputy director for safety in the FDA's Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products, says the agency looked at the adverse events reported to determine the scope of the problem. They can't say what caused the memory loss and confusion, but it seems to be a class effect and a rare event. While these medications may be helpful for some patients, most see dramatic improvement in a short time in their cholesterol when they eliminate processed food from their diet and eat more whole foods like fruit, vegetables, and good quality fat & protein. Some patients have come to our clinic for aches and pains, and we figured out their painful complaints were related to their cholesterol medication. Once they improved their cholesterol with better eating habits and their physician no longer recommended the medication, most of the muscle aches went away. Read the full CNN article here. |
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October 2024
Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your treating doctor. This blog is not a doctor and will not diagnose or treat your problems.
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