Do you make a grocery list? More importantly, do you follow it???
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
Fast food is generally unhealthy. But supermarkets can be, too. How can grocery stores be remade to offer healthier choices?
Fighting fat is not just about fast-food places; it’s also about the design of supermarkets, says Karen Glanz, a U Penn prof in Nursing and Medicine.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
Work will keep me from posting for a little bit; but do follow Facebook and Twitter feeds for more tips on staying on track!
Do you still think sleep is a luxury?
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
People who sleep less are more likely to be overweight, in part because they move less and eat more. People who work night shifts have more diabetes and cancer. Some sleep loss is inevitable: newborns, working to support children. But is it worth it to work overtime for a fancier car, when it means less sleep and more weight? Is Jay Leno that funny that he’s worth missing sleep for?
And students: pulling all nighters before an exam is probably the worse thing – memory is consolidated during sleep.
Studies from the University of Pennsylvania show that when sleep is interrupted,
The 24-hour internal clock controls many aspects of human behavior and physiology, including sleep, blood pressure, and metabolism. Disruption in circadian rhythms leads to increased incidence of many diseases, including metabolic disease and cancer. Each cell of the body has its own internal timing mechanism, which is controlled by proteins that keep one another in check.
…the Lazar team discovered molecules that act as “shift workers” to maintain the daily rhythm of fat metabolism. When those molecules do not do their jobs, the liver also dramatically fills with fat.
Fatty liver associated with obesity and sleep apnea may surpass alcohol as a cause for liver cirrhosis in the future. Save your liver – get more sleep, and eat/drink less sugar!
I use a sleep mask and ear plugs and often take melatonin to help with sleep. I also try to maintain a consistent bed time of 10pm.
I no longer have prediabetes… maybe I’ll be less likely to get Alzheimer’s?
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
People who care for older loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease know the difficulties the disease brings. It turns out that being overweight in midlife increases the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s. It also turns out that people with cognitive decline have brains that are resistant to insulin, even if they don’t have clinical diabetes. Many overweight and obese have diabetes without knowing – ask for your doctor before complications like impotence, amputation, blindness, numbness, or kidney failure set in.
How to make your bosy more sensitive to insulin? Exercise, weight loss, and medications like metformin may help. My doctor had me on metformin for the first 6 months of my weight loss. In experimental studies, antidiabetic medications reduce brain lesions.
Medications have their place. But listen to Dr. Mark Hyman about the scourge of “diabesity” and what you can do to prevent it or treat it withouts meds. He says:
“Whole real fresh food that you have to cook is the post potent medicine…”
Could chocolate be great for weight loss?
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
Yes! – it no longer has to be a guilty pleasure. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate which is rich in antioxidants, are good for blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart health. It is also great for weight loss! A recent study featured in BBC News goes into more detail.
The study found that despite the high caloric content, chocolate is associated with lower BMI (body mass index). It in fact found that people “who ate chocolate a few times a week were, on average, slimmer than those who ate it occasionally.” I eat 1 tablespoon of dark chocolate in the form of pure cocoa with my oatmeal every morning.
Enjoy it (real chocolate, not milk or white chocolate) guilt-free, but in moderation! The best weight loss practices are consuming more veggies, exercise, adequate sleep etc.
How to avoid fat-related cancers
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
Being obese (68.8% of U.S. adults are obese or overweight) and having a sedentary lifestyle opens the floodgates for many health problems and diseases, like cancer. It opens up to weight related cancers (like breast (after menopause), pancreatic, colon, kidney, and thyroid cancer, among others) and also lessens the chances of survival. A WSJ article highlights a recent report on the increase in the number of cancers related to obesity in the U.S., between 1999 and 2008, despite the decline in smoking.
Regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight is really the best way to decrease cancer risks. Even 30 mins/wk of leisure activity is beneficial for health – the hidden benefits include breast cancer risk reduction by 50% and colon cancer risk reduction by 60%. I have much better health, and feel much better since incorporating regular exercise into my schedule. Eating healthy is vital to healthy weight reduction. I eat 1-2lb of green veggies a day, avoid sugar and salt, and processed foods (especially processed red meat). Vegetable intake is especially important for African Americans, as breast cancer risks are more aggressive in African American women, who are also more likely to be obese than white women.
We have discussed the importance of sleep for health and weight loss numerous times. More sleep = increased activity + better food choices + reduced cancer risk.
It is important to get specific screenings like a mammography or colonoscopy. The recommended age for people with no family history is 50. I got a colonoscopy at 50, and it really did give me a peace of mind.
Fat-related cancers can be avoided with exercise, sleep, healthy foods, and routine screenings. It’s never too late for a lifestyle change!
Could a digital tracker be a solution for your weight loss?
By Dr John Ellis MD // 1 Comment
Self tracking has helped me tremendously with weight loss. There is a growing population of self trackers who use digital trackers for a variety of reasons: from losing weight to getting better sleep. A new study shows that “using an electronic diary improves treatment adherence” in weight loss programs. The study found that people who used an electronic personal digital assistant(PDA) did better at keeping a regular fitness/health schedule that those with paper diaries.
I kept a food diary for the first 6 months of my weight loss, before my meals became more regular. I use apps like Walkmeter for my walks, and record my other exercise (weight training, treadmill) in my google calendar. I also weigh myself daily to keep track of my progress. Wearing a belt is also a simple way to gauge your progress.
We have fancy and accurate technology at our disposal, let’s use them to help us improve our health! Do you self-quantify?
Get a buddy!
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
Buddy programs can work for weight loss. Many overweight and obese patients have diabetes (even if they don’t know it!)
For diabetics, a buddy program (“peer mentors”) improves control of diabetes. I am an Adjunct Professor in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Researchers there recently discussed this work in the video below:
Is sugar toxic? I cook to avoid added sugar in prepared foods.
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
Dr. Lustig from San Francisco is a pediatric endocrinologist who has campaigned against the childhood obesity he sees in his practice. He cites literature that sugar is particularly bad – “a calorie is a calorie is a calorie” is NOT TRUE! Sugar appears to be addictive; it causes changes in the brain, causing you to eat more and more to get the same “high.” Sugar consumption can lead to high blood pressure, liver inflammation, cholesterol… and maybe even cancer.
15 years ago, I remember I tried to eat a low fat diet to lose weight. I ate 6 bagels a day… and promptly packed on the weight!
I also don’t believe in 100 calories snacks – that sugar will fuel more eating an hour later.
Watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN:
How can we improve nutrition for people on a budget?
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
It is an extremely sad truth that eating healthy can be quite costly in the United States, or that access to healthy foods and adequate nutrition is limited to well-to-do neighborhoods. Food prices have risen significantly this past year, motivating those who cannot afford them to shop and eat unhealthy. The challenge is provide people who can’t afford healthy foods like vegetables with easy access to them. A study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing provides a solution to breaking the barriers of access for people on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the barriers for providers at Farmers’ Markets.
EBT card transactions (for people on food stamps) at Farmers’ Markets are expensive and inconvenient for both farmers and consumers. This is because EBT card processors are expensive for vendors, which explains why there is one central processor, if any, at a market place. This complicates the process for the consumer, who finds it easier to purchase food at supermarkets that are more expensive, or eat fastfood. However, the study shows that more people purchased fresh produce at a particular Farmers’ Market when EBT transaction machines were provided for free to all vendors in that market.
Policy makers should review studies like this in an effort to provide easy access to healthy food for people who cannot afford supermarket variety health foods. It is disheartening that obesity, malnutrition, and related diseases are prevalent in poor and neglected areas when there are some simple solutions (like eliminating “food deserts” in urban and rural America; and lowering the relative prices of healthier foods).
If you’re on a budget and find it difficult to eat healthy, check out some tips on “eating healthy on a budget” here. Please feel free to share any tips you may have!
Amazon Affiliates
Advertise Here
Slideshow
Recent Photo
Recent Video Posts
Latest News
- Obama sees 'emerging consensus' on economic fix
- SpaceX rocket launch aborted in last half-second
- French troop exit will not affect NATO 'unity': minister
- G8, raising pressure on Iran, puts oil stocks on standby
- Men accused of plotting attacks around NATO summit
News Plugin made by Ares Free Download.
Categories
Brows By Tags
Connect with me
