Does Skipping Breakfast Increase Weight Gain & Diabetes?

While previous research has shown that skipping breakfast causes the brain to crave high calorie foods and can lead to weight gain rather than weight loss, new research completed at Harvard found that men who skip breakfast increase their chance of developing diabetes by over 20%.

The elevated risk was even in men who were slim and healthy and ate fairly healthy diets.

The study which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition followed over 15,000 men for 16 years.

Try a high fiber cereal for breakfast

My suggestion is that you eat a high fiber breakfast cereal and even sprinkle in ground flax seeds and use non-fat milk. There is a product by General Mills called Fiber One/Honey Clusters. It is fairly low in sugar content and quite high in fiber content, 13 grams. (The ground flax seeds will add even more fiber.) It tastes quite good, keeps you full and provides the GI health benefits of both soluble and non-soluble fiber.

This recommendation is for both men and women.

Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.

Mild or Beginning Stages of Multiple Sclerosis

IF YOU HAVE MILD OR THE BEGINNING STAGES OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO TO KEEP IT FROM PROGRESSING AND BECOMING DEBILITATING

When Multiple Sclerosis progresses from its mild to more serious levels, the ability for sufferers to take care of themselves significantly diminished. Physical activities like walking can become a challenge.

For those patients with the milder form of MS, called “relapsing-remitting” MS, (as opposed to those diagnosed with “primary progressive MS, which is fortunately only about 15% of patients), low to moderate consumption of fish, caffeine and alcohol reduced the risk of the MS progressing to the point where they became physically challenged and needed help walking.

Some clinicians who commented on these finding published in the European Journal of Neurology, said that the study didn’t definitely prove that mild to moderate consumption of fish, alcohol and caffeine definitely reduced the risk of progressing to increase debility; there was no evidence that moderate consumption of fish, alcohol and caffeine has any negative effects.

Smoking was shown to increase the risk of progressing to a more serious level of MS with concomitant decreases in physical performance.

Other research seems to indicate that reducing saturated fats from animal sources may delay the progression of the disease.

Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.

Birth Defects in Children of Mothers With Diabetes

HIGHER RISK IN BIRTH DEFECTS OF CHILDREN BORN FROM MOTHERS WITH DIABETES. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO REDUCE THAT RISK?

In an article published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, researchers found that diabetic women who were not taking folic acid supplements at the time of their conception may double the risk of having a child born with birth defects.

The researchers who were from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that, “Clinicians should encourage all patients contemplating pregnancy to initiate prophylactic (preventive) folic acid supplementation.”

A good way to get your folic acid would be to take a multiple vitamin containing between 400-800 mcg per day of folic acid and also contained at least 100 mcg per day of vitamin B-12.

Curt Hendrix M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

Are Walnuts the Most Healthy Nuts?

U.S. study ranks walnuts as most healthy nuts

Xinhua News Agency – CEIS

LOS ANGELES, March 27 (Xinhua) — Walnuts have a combination of more healthful antioxidants and higher quality antioxidants than any other nut, U.S. researchers have found.

Study findings were presented on Sunday at the 241st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Anaheim, Southern California.

Nuts contain plenty of high-quality protein that can substitute for meat, vitamins and minerals, dietary fiber, and are dairy and gluten-free, ACS researchers said in the study.

Moreover, nuts contain healthful polyunsaturated and monosaturated fats rather than artery-clogging saturated fat, according to the study.

The researchers based their conclusion on an analysis of antioxidants in nine different types of nuts: walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamias, and pecans.

They found that walnuts have the highest levels of antioxidants, with plenty of high-quality protein that can substitute for meat, vitamins and minerals, dietary fiber, and are dairy and gluten-free.

The latest study adds more evidence that walnuts are top nuts for heart-healthy antioxidants, the researchers said.

Previous studies showed that regular consumption of small amounts of nuts or peanut butter can decrease the risk of heart disease, certain kinds of cancer, gallstones, Type 2 diabetes, and other health problems.

But the latest study is the first to compare both the amount and quality of antioxidants found in different nuts.

Walnuts rank above peanuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios, and other nuts,” said Joe Vinson, Ph.D., who led the latest study.

A handful of walnuts contains almost twice as many antioxidants as an equivalent amount of any other commonly consumed nut. Unfortunately, people don’t eat a lot of them. This study suggests that consumers should eat more walnuts as part of a healthy diet.

Alcoholic Beverage May Help Male Heart Attack Victims

Research published in the European Heart Journal and carried out at Harvard Medical School found that after having a heart attack, men who were already consuming one or two alcoholic drinks a day, live longer than men who either drink much more or men who don’t drink at all.

The exact reason for this benefit is unknown. It may be because the alcohol makes the blood less likely to clot, and/or reduces inflammation or because in moderation, alcohol raises HDL, the good cholesterol.

One alcoholic drink was defined as a beer, or 4 ounces of wine or a shot of hard liquor.

The study commented on the benefits of 1- 2 alcoholic drinks in men that were already drinking. It did say that men who weren’t drinking should start after a heart attack, but it didn’t say that they shouldn’t either. My guess is that unless you have diabetes or some other reason that your physician thinks you should avoid alcohol. Consuming 1 drink a day after a heart attack may help and probably won’t hurt.

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

Being Obese and Possibly Just Overweight Can Affect Fertility

Obesity in women (a Body Mass Index, (BMI) of 30 or greater, see link at the end of this article to calculate your BMI) can negatively affect ovulation and menstrual cycles and the ability to conceive. Extremely obese women (BMI of 40+), were 43% less likely to conceive. But, it has been shown that weight reduction often results in normalization of the menstrual cycle and higher pregnancy rates.

In fact, obesity causes an almost 200% increase in the risk of miscarriage and weight reduction significantly reduces this risk as well.

Recent research from France reviewed the data from 14 studies comparing the sperm count of normal, overweight and obese men and revealed that excess weight might also affect men’s fertility.

It was found that overweight men were 11% more likely to have low sperm counts, but 39% more likely to have no sperm in their ejaculate than normal weight men.

On the other hand, obese men were 42% more likely to have low sperm counts and 81% more likely to have no sperm count. It should be understood that the risk of no sperm count is very low to begin with, so though the risk increased by 81%, in absolute terms, the risk is still small.

This spells disaster for marriages that face obesity, for some the best diet pills are an option but not for everyone. For couples where both the woman and man are overweight or obese, this combination could result in difficulty achieving pregnancy and even moderate weight loss could help.

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

WHAT DO ICE CREAM AND DRUGS HAVE IN COMMON?

Ice cream like drugs, gives the user an immediate sense of pleasure and gratification.

Also like drugs, recent research done at the Oregon Research Institute found that the pleasure level achieved from consuming ice cream starts to diminish with continuous use and more and more ice cream needs to be consumed to achieve the same level of pleasure. The body responds by increasing our cravings for the dessert, leading to weight gain and possible obesity.

This is similar to a mechanism known in drug metabolism called “tachyphylaxis”. This is a phenomenon whereby the sensitivity of receptor on cells that respond to an ingredient or drug start to desensitize with use over time and more and more of the drug is necessary for it to work.

The good news, on the other hand is, I have seen, countless times, how people, who thought they were addicted to sugar, saw their “addiction” significantly decrease as they cut sugar from their daily diets. The less sugar they ate, the less they craved it.

The fact is, if you can just manage to say “NO” to sugary foods for just a week, you will in fact, start to notice your cravings for sugar are diminishing and it becomes easier and easier to just say “NO” the next time.

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

Does Diet Soda Increase Risk of Heart Attack & Stroke?

DIET SODAS, ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS AND HEIGHTENED RISK OF HEART ATTACK AND STROKE AMONGST OLDER ADULTS

We have written previously about the fact that the artificial sweetener, aspartame (NutraSweet and other brands) is an excite-toxin and can literally kill brain cells.

We have reported on another study that showed that people consuming diet sodas did not lose weight.

And now, yet another study reports an increased risk of heart attack and strokes amongst older, daily diet soda users.

The results published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine reported that daily consumption of diet soda by adults 69 + years old led to a 44% increase in heart attacks and strokes in this group.

These results did not necessarily prove that the diet sodas, alone, were responsible for this increased risk. It is possible that people who drink diet sodas may have other unhealthy habits that also contribute to their increased risk. (I don’t know if this is true because many people drink diet sodas in an attempt to keep their weight down, which at least implies they are somewhat conscious of trying to be healthy).

It was reported that those who drank diet soda daily, tended to be heavier, and were more likely to have hypertension and diabetes.

Between this new information and studies we reported on in the past it’s hard to make any kind of case for consuming diet sodas. There are excellent naturally sweetened beverages out there which have no or very few calories and seemingly non- of the risks of diet sodas or the artificial sweeteners they use.

If you read our other articles, you know that I highly recommend the natural sweeteners erythritol and stevia. Though there are several brands using these natural sweeteners, one I found that has really great flavor and taste is “Sobe” Life Water. I tried their Mango-Melon and Green Apple-Pear flavors and they were terrific and had “zero” calories.

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

Are Antibiotics Dangerous to Your Health?

YET ANOTHER REASON TO THINK TWICE AND ASK QUESTIONS WHEN ANTIBIOTIC MEDICATIONS ARE PRESCRIBED. ANTIBIOTICS ARE OFTEN NOT NECESSARY, OVER-PRESCRIBED AND NOT EFFECTIVE.

Antibiotic medications can often save lives in the case of severe infections. It is very possible that physicians recommend antibiotics too much and in situations when they are not needed or not effective.

Just recently, a good friend of mine had symptoms that looked a lot like the flu. They got pretty bad and the emergency room physicians said it was probably the flu, but gave her antibiotics as well (even though the flu is viral and antibiotics don’t kill viruses.)

Antibiotics kill bacteria, including the “good bacterial” that help to keep pathogenic (harmful) bacteria at bay in your gut. So taking antibiotic medications too often can disrupt the healthy balance of good and bad bacterial in your gut (dysbiosis) and cause intestinal problems. This is why it is often recommended to take probiotics like acidophilus to reestablish healthy balance in your gut after taking antibiotic medicines. (These medicines kill the good bacteria as well as the bad).

Most of the time (if not all) when your physician thinks that you have a sinus infection, (facial pain, cough, and nasal congestion) you will once again be recommended to take some kind of antibiotic medication. Common sense seems to support the logic behind this recommendation.

Recent research indicates that antibiotic drugs do NOT reduce symptoms of sinusitis nor do they speed up recovery. This is especially true for patients with sudden on-set sinusitis.

Research published in the Journal of the America Medical Association (JAMA) found that the popular antibiotic, amoxicillin, was no better than a placebo drug in treating sinusitis (inflammation of the nasal cavity). One of the researchers, Jane Garbutt, MD stated “Most people didn’t derive any clinical benefit from the antibiotic, so most people likely don’t need any antibiotic treatment.”

Even the Centers of Disease Control only recommend the use of antibiotics when symptoms of sinus infection are severe. This study didn’t make it clear as to whether or not the antibiotics would be useful in the case of severe infections.

Knowing that antibiotics cause dysbiosis and over-use can cause bacterial drug resistance, it’s time to speak up and question whether or not another prescription for antibiotics are REALLY necessary for most cases of sinusitis. 8 out of 10 peoples symptoms resolve within 10 days without taking an antibiotic drug and those who take the drug don’t do any better.

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

NECK PAIN? THE BEST MEDICINE IS NO MEDICINE!

It is estimated that 51% of people will experience neck pain and that 15% of the population suffers chronically with neck pain.

A recent study followed patients who had recently developed neck pain. It was found that after 3 months the patients who chose either a chiropractor or exercised were more than 2X more likely to be pain free than people who took pain medications.

Patients who took drugs experienced only a 13 percent success rate. The patients who chose chiropractic care had a 32% success rate. The patients who chose exercise had a 30% success rate. The success rate for people who did both chiropractic and exercise was not reported and would have been interesting to know.

Besides the potential side-effects of some pain medications, they just didn’t compare to the other non-drug options.

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

How Salt Sneaks Into Our Everyday Diet

HOW SALT SNEAKS INTO YOUR EVERYDAY DIET; SOME SURPRISING SOURCES OF SALT

In many individuals salt intake is associated with higher blood pressure and bloating and should also be limited in people with kidney disease and diabetes.

It is recommended that adults under 50 years of age consume no more than 2300 mgs of salt per day and for those 50+ no more than 1500 mgs per day.

It’s not easy to stay within these guidelines and you have to both read the nutrition labels on the foods you choose to eat and be aware of the classes of food that contribute to daily salt consumption.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created a list of 10 foods that significantly contribute to your daily salt intake. They are:

1- Breads and other baked goods like rolls. Surprised?

2- Cold cuts and processed meats

3- Pizza

4- Poultry

5- Soups

6- Sandwiches

7- Cheese

8- Pasta Dishes

9- Meat dishes (i.e. meatloaf)

10- Snacks (i.e. popcorn, pretzels, trail mix, chips)

Many people may be surprised to learn that bread and baked products are high sources of salt. Most of us think of soups as healthy, but many of them are alarmingly high in salt content.

The message here is not so much to cut out the foods on this list, but to buy products or make foods that contain less salt and to try to keep track of your daily salt intake with the above maximums in mind.

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

Is Sugar As Dangerous to Your Health as Alcohol and Cigarettes?

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco claim that excessive consumption of sugar not only contributes to climbing obesity rates but causes hypertension, disruption of hormones and liver damage.

The article, “The Toxic Truth About Sugar”, states that dietary sugar intake has tripled over the past 50 years and is responsible for “35 million deaths a year”.

When sugar is fermented (by yeast or bacteria) it is converted into ethanol (drinking alcohol) and carbon dioxide. Essentially the researchers claim that excessive sugar consumption causes many of the same effects as alcohol consumption. As reported by Dr. Robert Lustig, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco Center for Obesity Study, Treatment and Assessment.

“Excess sugar in the diet does not just add calories. Too much sugar has been linked with health problems and they occur even in people who are normal weight. This includes: Obesity, high blood pressure, liver problems, diabetes and elevated blood fats in the form of triglycerides”.

“It is known that sugar has an addiction-like action on the brain that encourages subsequent intake”.

It is important to realize that Dr. Lustig is not just talking about the sugar in candy, cakes and soda. He and many researchers, including myself, consider the fructose in fruits to be equally problematic when over consumed.

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 9 teaspoons of sugar a day for men and 6 for women. This compares to the average sugar intake in the U.S. of 22 teaspoons a day.

The study does not discuss an additional safety concern related to excessive sugar consumption. The “aging effects” of sugar on bodily tissues is associated with tissue damage, oxidative stress and chronic degenerative diseases.

Via a process known as glycation, sugar reacts with bodily proteins and fats to form AGE’s. (advance glycation endproducts). These AGE’s can cause excessive cellular damage by raising inflammation and levels of free radicals in our bodies.

AGE’s are implicated in:

• Cardiovascular disease

• Cancer

• Alzheimer’s

• Diabetes ( the test your Dr. does called HbA1c. measures the effect of sugar on your red blood cells)

• Nerve damage (neuropathies)

• Eye damage

• Weakening of blood vessels increasing the risk of aneurisms and strokes

Considering that just one glass of soda contains 22 teaspoons of sugar, isn’t it time to take steps to reduce your sugar consumption down to the levels recommended by the Heart Association?

Try to use products that have substituted all or some of their sugar content with natural sweeteners like Stevia extract or erythritol.

The good news is that stopping our addiction to sugar, is not very hard. Unlike drugs or even caffeine which can have withdrawal side-effects, withdrawing from sugar does not. In fact, most people report that after a week or two, their cravings are substantially reduced.

Curt Hendrix, B.S. M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.