Weight Loss Category

Many of you already know that stress is one of the most common migraine triggers.

STRESS CAN ALSO AFFECT HORMONES THAT CAUSE INCREASES IN ABDOMINAL FAT LEADING TO WEIGHT  GAIN, COMPROMISED MEMORY AND DEPRESSION.

HERE’S WHAT TO DO!

The stress hormone “Cortisol,” which is released by our adrenal glands, can protect us in dangerous or trying times but if the stress is constant, then it can lower your immune system and add dangerous life threatening fat to your abdomen.

Cortisol is important for maintaining blood pressure and providing energy for the body.  Cortisol stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism for fast energy, stimulates the release of insulin and maintains blood sugar levels. The end result of these actions can be an increase in appetite.

Research has consistently shown that stress can and does, in some people result in over-eating and weight gain.  Even if you usually eat well and exercise, chronic high stress can prevent you from losing weight—or add pounds.

Luckily, research is also showing that controlling stress can prevent weight gain.
Research published in the Journal of Obesity found that even without going on a formal diet, people who controlled their stress and just thought about what they were eating, prevented weight gain.

The question is, “How can I control my stress levels?”  Saying it is a lot easier than actually doing it  So what are some stress busting techniques that work?

1-    Certain B vitamins found in a B complex available in any health food store can help with the effects of stress on your body and hormones

2-    Regular exercise at least 3 times a week, for just 15 minutes,  if done in intervals (see 9XTrim Pulsed Interval Training explanation at 9XTrim.com) can be a major stress buster.

3-    An herbal extract of  Ashwagandha (one of the most powerful herbs in Ayurvedic herbal medicine) can really center you while decreasing the feelings of nervousness and anxiety caused by chronic stress.

4-    Meditation is a proven stress reducer.  Spending even a few minutes meditating can restore your calm and inner peace.  You can practice meditation wherever you are, whether you are walking, waiting for an appointment, or sitting at your desk.

5-    Structured breathing is very calming.  Breath in through your nose for 10 seconds, hold it for 30 seconds and then slowly release the breath through your mouth for 15 seconds.  Done once or twice every hour or two, can do wonders to keep you calm.

6-    Certain foods help reduce the effects of stress.  They are:

·         Oatmeal

·         Avocados

·         Walnuts, almonds, pistachios

·         Oranges

·         Salmon,Tuna

·         Spinach

Learn more about Calm&Clever

In addition, consider using an Anti-Stress and Memory Enhancing nutritional supplement – “Calm & Clever”

Click here to listen to my radio segment about the effects of stress on the body, discussed on the Dr. Tony O’Donnell Show!

Now that you have a game plan, there’s no time like the present to improve your memory while getting calm, slim and happy!

To the Best of Health,

Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N.  C.N.S.

Making Healthy Holiday Food Choices

It’s estimated that Americans gain at least one pound, and up to five pounds of weight, between Thanksgiving and New Years.  Repeat that for a few years and we look less and less like our high school yearbook photo.

But that doesn’t have to be the case, if we learn what foods to embrace and what foods to avoid.  Here’s a list of both:
Healthy Holiday Foods

Cranberries
The phytochemicals that impart the red color to cranberries are powerful anti-aging antioxidants. They also reduce the ability of bacteria to stick to our cells thereby reducing the risk of urinary infections.

Apples and Applesauce
Contain heart healthy fiber and compounds like quercetin and ellagic acid that are powerful antioxidants and protect against cardiovascular disease and inflammation which is involved in almost all chronic disease.

Dark Chocolate
Seventy percent or more cocoa content contains the most flavonols — helpful plant substances that help protect the heart and arteries.

Green Beans
Naturally low in calories, string beans are loaded with vitamin K, which helps protect your bones. Also, a good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin A. But skip heavy sauces with this vegetable. Try beans lightly tossed with olive oil and lemon.

Nuts
Nuts are chock-full of heart-healthy unsaturated fats, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. 

Pumpkin Pie
This rich orange vegetable contains carotenoids for making Vitamin A in the body and fighting free radicals. Pumpkin is also a good source of potassium and fiber.  Beware: most pies are loaded with sugar – use artificial sweetener instead of sugar for a lower calorie dessert.

Yams & Sweet Potatoes
Yams offer carotenoids, potassium, Vitamin C, and fiber. Candied yams are high in sugar. Bake with a bit of brown sugar, or with artificial sweetener, for the taste without the calories. 

And some additional choices that are health and weight friendlier:

• Whole grains, such as whole-wheat rolls, wild rice, and quinoa
• Shrimp, lobster, and other steamed seafood
• Plain or lightly dressed vegetables
• Meat and poultry without the gravy
• Salad greens (lightly dressed)
• Fresh fruit

Foods to Avoid During the Holidays With Possible Substitutes

Swedish meatballs – instead, try some cold cuts like ham or turkey

EggNog – instead, try a cinnamon or other spiced tea

Stuffed potatoes – instead, eat a regular baked potatoe or red potatoes

Creamed spinach – instead, spinach without the cream or broccoli

Pot Roast – instead, breast of turkey or sliced steak

Fruitcake – instead, a fruit tart

Pecan Pie – instead, a fruit tart

Cheese Cake – instead, a slice of pound cake

Croissant – instead, some whole grain bread

Hot Buttered Rum – just leave out the butter, and then spice with nutmeg

Cinnamon Rolls – instead, a slice of toasted whole grain bread with a bit of jelly

Ice Cream – instead, sorbet

Making sensible diet choices is easier than it seems and there’s no time like the present to start.

Here’s to a fun, tasty holiday.

Making healthy diet choices is easier than it seems and there’s no time like the present to start.

Here’s to a fun, tasty and healthy holiday season!

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

I read reams of newly published scientific and medical information published in peer-reviewed journals every month.

Almost every week, I read an article or blog where a physician or registered dietician talks about the dangers and health risks of consuming saturated fats.  I could understand  authors not staying abreast of the research disproving these dangers and risks if it was brand spanking new.  When it is years old, however, there is no explanation other than they have not done their homework.

A small percentage of what we think we know about science, medicine and health is irrefutable and the vast percentage of our knowledge is subject to change, or  a complete revision.

This has happened innumerable times and will continue to happen as new research surfaces. In the past few decades we have seen  the almost unquestionable health benefits of HRT (hormone replacement therapy) challenged and somewhat reversed.

Everyone knows that higher levels of HDL cholesterol are healthy and protective, right?  Now some cardiologists and researchers are challenging this “irrefutable” fact.

Everyone from your physician to your best friend “knows” that consumption of saturated fats causes heart disease…  Well,  based upon all of the most recently published studies that does not seem to be true.

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, (Mar. 2010) analyzing over 20 studies  on the risks of consuming saturated fat  found:

“… there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD [coronary heart disease] or CVD [stroke and cardiovascular disease].”

And now a new study just recently completed confirms this and adds a really interesting twist to the “dangers of saturated fats” topic.

An article recently published in the journal PLOS-1  found that increased dietary intake of saturated fats did not cause a rise in the blood plasma level of saturated fats.  But the very interesting take-away from this study was that increasing the percentage of daily dietary intake of carbohydrates did in fact raise plasma saturated fat levels,  which when elevated are known to increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Let’s sum up what we have learned and what you should do regarding dietary saturated fats:

1-Consumption of foods containing saturated fats does not increase the risk of heart disease or diabetes because for unexplained metabolic reasons dietary consumption of saturated fats does not raise blood plasma levels of saturated fat which are thought to increase the risk of developing diabetes and/or heart disease, when elevated.

2-Consumption of foods containing high levels of carbohydrates do raise plasma levels of saturated fats, thereby increasing your risk of developing diabetes or heart disease.

According to one of the lead researchers involved in the study “Dietary guidelines that recommend restricted consumption of saturated fats are not smart or scientific.”

If you would like to reduce the risk of developing diabetes and/or heart disease, REDUCE YOUR TOTAL DAILY CONSUMPTION OF CARBOHYDRATES AND REPLACE THEM WITH  HEALTHY FATS (FISH, AVOCADO, OLIVE OIL, NUTS, ALMOND BUTTER, SUNFLOWER SEED SPREAD) AND QUALITY GRASS-FED OR FREE RANGE PROTEIN SOURCES.

My personal diet provides about 65% of my calories from fats, about 25% from protein sources and 10% from carbohydrates.  This is a far cry from the age-old pyramid recommendations to get 50-60%  of your daily calories from carbohydrates.

While I do lift weights, I do very little aerobic exercise except for walking and my body fat percentage stays around 16-17%. (I include this information for those of you who are worried about higher fat consumption causing you to gain weight or body fat).

My total daily caloric intake ranges between 2500-3000 calories.  Women, depending upon their level of activity should generally be in the 1700-2000 calories per day range if they desire to maintain their current weight.

Metabolically and physiologically……………SUGAR FROM CARBOHYDRATES IS THE ENEMY NOT FATS!

I also believe there is enough published quality science indicating that reducing your intake of carbohydrates may also lead to decreased risks of developing cancer, dementia/Alzheimers, vision and hearing loss.

To the Best of Health,

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

Healthy Habits Decrease Cancer Risk

The International Agency for Research on Cancer projects that the number of people with cancer will increase by 75% by the year 2030 as we continue the unhealthy habits of our “Westernized” lifestyle and as developing countries adopt our lifestyle.

As developing countries become more affluent they also pick up the bad habits of fast foods, huge portions, poor diets, and less exercise.

In affluent countries like ours, cancer is the 1^st or 2^nd leading cause of death, but so many of us believe that despite our being over-weight, making poor food choices, eating way too many calories, and doing far less exercise than we should, cancer will happen to somebody else…..NOT ME!

Some of us feel “good health” is a right to which we are entitled, and  should not have to “work” to stay healthy.  I think good health is a goal that we all should strive for and like other goals, something that we have to consciously “work” at to achieve and maintain.

15 Things To Do To Decrease Your Risk of Developing Cancer:

1-     Eat vegetables – Especially broccoli and broccoli sprouts, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and carrots

2-     Avoid charbroiled meats, processed meats and packaged meats

3-     Consume small amounts of berries like blueberries or black raspberries a few times a week.

4-     Cut way back on your daily sugar intake.  Reduce soda and fruit juice intake and instead replace with sparkling mineral water.  Reduce dessert to a treat that you eat just once or twice a week and even then in small amounts

5-     Take a daily multiple vitamin

6-     Daily consumption of a turmeric (95% curcumin) supplement at 1000-1500 mg/day and a green tea supplement (50% EGCG) 1000-1500 mg/day

7-     Daily consumption of 500 mg. of ascorbic acid (vitamin C)

8-     Exercise both with weight for resistance and aerobically. For your aerobic exercise, spend 90 seconds at a moderate pace and then increase to a very challenging pace for 30 seconds.  Work up to doing this cycle 6-8 times, 3 days a week.

9-     Make salads a mainstay in your diet and use healthy dressings like vinaigrette or balsamic.

10-  Make additive-free chicken and turkey breast your primary sources of meat

11- Consume at least 1500 mg/day of the omega-3 essential fatty acids  EPA and DHA

12-  Eat salmon or tuna at least once or twice a week

13- Get lots of fiber into your diet, from flaxseeds, psyllium, high fiber cereals and vegetables

14- Do not smoke

15- Use protection when in the sun

These healthy habits will go along way if you make them part of your lifestyle and daily routine.
To the best of heatlh,

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

It probably comes as no surprise, to any of you who are even a bit health conscious, that Americans are not the picture of health. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) state that over 50% of Americans are over-weight and it is predicted by year 2030 that close to 50% of Americans will be obese.

I have written in previous articles that excess weight is your enemy and increases the risks of developing hypertension and most chronic degenerative diseases.  I’ve also pointed out that “all weight is not the same”!  (links to past articles below)

For example, if you are exceptionally muscular, though your weight may classify you as being over-weight for your height, you do not have the same degree of risk of someone who weighs what you weigh but has a body fat percentage that is 10-20 points higher than yours.

So weight alone can be a misleading indicator of risk!  I have also written that the “location” of your weight plays a BIG role in just how dangerous your extra weight is to you.

Based upon current research and understanding, excess weight around your waist and belly area is much more dangerous to your health than excess weight around your hips, thighs, arms and back.

The fat cells (adipocytes) in this area seem to generate more hormones and other chemicals that can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, obesity and even cancer.

Therefore measurement of your body weight or your Body Mass Index (a ratio of your weight to height) does not tell the whole story because it doesn’t take into consideration where your excess weight is located.

WAIST-TO-HIP RATIO

It may turn out that the “waist-to-hip” ratio is a better index of increased health risk because it is comparing the excess weight you carry in the “dangerous waist/belly” area to the weight you carry below this area.

It’s quite simple to calculate. Just divide your waist measurement (in either inches or centimeters) by your hip measurement.

Place the tape measure so that is crosses your belly button when taking your waist measurement and measure your hips around the widest area.

For men a waist to hip ration of .95 or above is undesirable.  For women, a ratio of .80 or above is undesirable. Which is the ratio that is normally attempted by using a latex waist training corset.

Also for men, it is thought that a waist measurement of 40 inches or above is too high and that for women a measurement of 35 or above is too high.

A recent study done at the University of Minnesota found that belly fat (abdominal obesity) was associated with increased risk of “sudden cardiac death.”  According to the CDC, “sudden cardiac death” causes 250,000 deaths a year.

There is no “magic” way to just cut back specifically on your abdominal fat.  You’ve heard it before:

• Cut back on simple sugars – i.e. desserts and sugary soft drinks
• Cut back on daily calorie intake.  You must consume on average less than 2000 calories a day to lose weight (unless you are doing a lot of aerobic, calorie burning exercise)
• Exercise helps to add to weight loss that occurs with calorie restriction. Try interval training (walk, cycle or jog for 3-4 minutes at a moderate pace, then for 30 seconds increase your speed to your absolute maximum, then return to the moderate pace for another 90 seconds. Then once again increase to your max for 30 seconds. You may only be able to do this cycle one or two times at the beginning (depending upon what kind of aerobic shape you are in), but pretty quickly you will find that you can get up to 5-8 complete cycles.

Couple this with reasonable caloric restriction and the fat will disappear faster than you thought possible.

*Before starting any exercise regimen, confirm with your physician that it is safe for you to do.

Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N.  C.N.S.

A group of men and women were asked to examine photographs of two different women who were the same age and height.  One of the women weighed 105 lbs. and the other woman weight 120 lbs.

When questioned which women looked thinner and younger, the group of men and women examining the photos, consistently said the 120 lb. woman looked thinner and younger.

Interestingly enough, when the group was showed just the faces of the two women in the photos, they thought both women were of similar age.

So why would the heavier of the two women look younger and thinner in a full length photo?

Believe it or not, the factor that made the heavier woman look both younger and thinner was her POSTURE!

It’s not surprising that between hunching over computers, watching TV, picking up kids and packages, poor mattresses, standing in line and stress, (tightening our shoulders, neck and back muscles) that our posture suffers.

When it suffers, your gut looks wider and can actually create a pot-belly look. This clearly affects others perception of you. It is very important to remember that poor posture during sitting is of crucial importance because it can eventually negatively affect your standing posture.

Posture expert, Jane Novak, suggests that the worst culprit is the constant hunching we do when working on computers.  She says that negative permanent structural change in our vertebrae and back pain can occur if we don’t do something about it.

What I have found to be the fastest and easiest way to correct both sitting and standing posture and instantly make you look 10-15 pounds thinner, taller and appear, generally more attractive, is a quick adjustment that Novak recommends and I call it a “sternum lift”.

The “sternum lift” will immediately begin to realign your joints, muscles and bones to keep you upright and prevent your ribcage from pushing down on your mid-section, preventing you from looking fatter and pot-bellied.

The “sternum lift” literally takes just a few seconds and you should remind yourself to do it many times during the day when sitting or standing.

The sternum is the bone in the middle part of your chest. By raising it up an inch or two, it prevents your rib-cage from collapsing on your abdomen which prevents it from bulging and looking wider, while at the same time prevents rounding out of your lower back.

By lifting your sternum upwards, you will make your waist and belly look many inches smaller and create a longer, leaner and more youthful looking figure.

Now that you are aware of it, notice how many times during the day your sternum is lowered, your shoulders are hunched forward, your lower back is rounded and your rib-cage is pressing or resting on your stomach.

The “sternum lift” is simply the fastest, easiest and most effective adjustment you can make to dramatically improve your posture and look thinner, healthier, more attractive and younger.

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

A recently published study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that rates of obesity are 33% less in people who smoke marijuana at least three times a week compared to non-smokers of marijuana.

The reporting of this study made me smile.  First of all, don’t people who smoke marijuana get the munchies and wouldn’t that make them susceptible to weight-gain not weight-loss?

In fact, cannabis (marijuana) is given to cancer patients to help to increase their appetites. So, it is unclear as to why frequent smokers of marijuana are less obese than non-smokers.

One theory is that replacing what may be a compulsive habit of eating too much with pot smoking, may be the reason frequent pot smokers tend to be less obese.

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

You are probably aware of the alarming percentage of Americans that are over-weight or even obese. In no small way, the amounts of sugar that have crept into our diets from sources like sugary beverages, cereals and deserts, have not only rendered us over-weight, but under healthy with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance increasing like never before.

Articles and dieticians often speak about the blood sugar raising ability of the different kinds of carbohydrates in various foods that we may choose to eat.  Carbohydrates can be simple sugars like sucrose (which is a combination of glucose and fructose) or fructose (which is the sugar found in fruits that has its own set of issues) or complex carbohydrates like starches (which are just long chains of glucose attached to one another) and finally dietary fiber (which is indigestible by our bodies, so therefore, does not raise blood sugar).

The term that helps us to understand how much carbohydrates are in foods and raise blood sugar, is called “glycemic index”, (GI).   GI is calculated by taking 50 grams of a specific carbohydrate found in a food and measuring how much it raises blood sugar compared to 50 grams of pure glucose.

So for example, if the glycemic index of a carbohydrate in carrots was 78 this would mean that 50 grams of it raised blood sugar, 78% of how much the same amount of glucose raised blood sugar.

Foods with a GI below 55 are considered low GI foods.  GI’s between 55-70 are considered intermediate GI foods and foods with a GI above 70 are considered high GI foods.

This is important information, but you need to know and understand that sometimes even the best of intentions can go awry.

By this I mean, knowing the GI of a particular food is only part of the story.  This is because “quantity counts”! You will recall that I mentioned above that GI is calculated by comparing how much an equal amount of a carbohydrate in a food (50grams) raises blood sugar compared to 50 grams of glucose.

The GI of any particular carbohydrate found in a given food, is a number that is a percentage relative to glucose.  What it doesn’t tell us, is how much of the carbohydrate is actually in a given sized serving of the food.

What we really want to know and monitor in order to lose weight and avoid diabetes or insulin resistance and the diseases like obesity, heart disease and cancer, they can lead to, is the absolute, real life amount of increase in blood sugar, eating a specific sized portion of a given food will cause. Not its relative percentage compared to 50 grams of glucose.

Percentages can be very deceiving.  I could say that I save 30% of my income.  This is an impressive percentage but if I earn $10,000 a year, it is $3,000.

On the other hand, I could save only 10% of my income but if I earn $100,000, the savings is $10,000, more than 3 times greater in absolute dollars.

Well, the same thing applies to GI, it is a percentage, it does not tell you the absolute increase in blood sugar a given sized portion of a specific food will cause.   It doesn’t do this because it doesn’t take into consideration the absolute amount of the carbohydrate, actually found in the food.

This is where the concept of glycemic load comes in.(GL)   Knowing and monitoring the GL, which you can get from charts on the internet and one sample is provided below, of the foods you eat will get you far down the path to a much slimmer and healthier you.

The GL of a food is calculated from its GI times the actual amount by weight of the carbohydrate that is present in a given sized portion divided by 100.

Think about it, if a food has a glycemic index of 20 that is very low!  50 grams of it only raises blood sugar by 20% of what an equal weight of glucose raised blood sugar.  What if the weights are not equal?

What if you eat 5 times the amount by weight of that food, so instead of 50 grams, which is the weight used to calculate GI, you eat 250 grams (a little more than ½ of a pound)? Well then your blood sugar would raise the same amount as eating 50 grams of glucose because 5X20= 100.

Glycemic load gives you real life, very valuable blood sugar information about the size of the portions of each food you choose.  It enables you to limit portion sizes so that you control blood sugar and really establish a powerful regimen under which you can lose substantial amounts of weight, while avoiding diabetes, heart disease, cancer and many other chronic diseases.

Avoiding the effects of too much sugar in the body is very anti-aging as well.  Both your internal organs and you skin will benefit tremendously.

Below is a sample chart of glycemic load of certain foods. Additional charts can be found on the internet just Google glycemic load.

I advise you to try to average no higher than 50 in your GL food choices.  So if you choose to splurge and eat a desert with a GL of 80 try to offset it with an equal number of calories of a food with a 20 GL while keeping your total calories in the 2000 calorie per day range if you are a woman of average physical activity. (As low as 1500 for faster weight loss)  For men the caloric intake, depending upon muscle mass and physical activity should probably be in the 2400-2800 calorie per day range. (Around 1800-2000 for faster weight loss)

*High in empty calories     **Low-calorie and nutritious foods

The 4 factors are:

• ·        Not Smoking
• ·        Nutritional Pattern:  Eating Mediterranean Diet Type Foods
• ·        Physical Activity for at least 30 minutes a day
• ·        Body Weight- keeping Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18 to 25.

The study started in 1986 and included over 120,000 men and women from ages 55-69.  It studied the risk of premature death in people who both controlled these 4 factors and those who didn’t.

Women who controlled these factors had the same risk of premature death as women who were 15 years younger but didn’t.  To put it another way, a 55 year old women who controlled these 4 factors had the same risk of premature death as a 40 year old woman, who didn’t.

A 65 year old man who controlled them had the same risk of premature death as a 56.5 year old man who didn’t.

The exciting implication of this research is that for those of you who really want to lose weight and want to do it properly, 3 of the 4 life extending factors will automatically be incorporated into your weight loss regimen: Exercise, nutritional pattern and reduction of BMI. (The 4^th factor, smoking, though obviously recommended, is a separate personal decision).

To calculate your BMI divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches times itself and multiply that amount by 703.

For example, a woman who weighs 140 lbs and is 5’4” (64 inches) the calculation would be:

140 divided by 4096 (which is 64X64) = .03418 X 703 = 24 which is the BMI and in the acceptable range.

Just because the BMI is in the “healthy, acceptable” range, this doesn’t mean that a lower BMI wouldn’t be aesthetically more pleasing to some women.

If the woman in the above example experienced healthy weight loss and dropped to 120 lbs her BMI would be:

120 divided by 4096= .0293 X 703 = 20.6 the new BMI.

For those of you who don’t like doing math, the link below will automatically calculate your BMI for you.

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

In a subsequent article, that will be released within the next few days, some eating and exercise hints that make losing weight simpler and less of a challenge, will be discussed.

Best Health,

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

Too many carbs can lead to diabetes. Too much of the wrong kind of fats may lead to heart disease. Could gorilla eating habits (which nutritionally, in many ways are similar to human needs) be the answer to the obesity epidemic we are experiencing.

Could shifting your dietary intake of nutrient sources be the answer to not only having the body/figure you want but avoiding the diseases associated with being over-weight or obese?

Please read :  Gorilla Diet Could Explain Human Obesity Study