Blog Posts From Nutrition for Fitness Tagged With health

Gluten Confusion

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 23:52:00 GMT

Gluten has become a pretty mainstream nutrition term. Many people understand it is a health concern, but they don't know how or why. With as much as one-third of the population sensitive to gluten, it’s worth understanding more(1). The more startling statistic is that 99% of those who have issues with gluten are aware of it(2). Gluten’s common reputation is some kind of “wheat allergy.” With our dependence on whole grains as the base of the recommended food pyramid, it’s easy to overlook the significance of gluten. It can also be a challenge to admit that the base of the Standard American Diet could actually be hurting us.

Gluten and Chronic Disease

Many chronic diseases seem to be related to gluten sensitivities. Often, medications are prescribed without relieving the underlying cause. Such is the case with gluten issues. The New England Journal of Medicine listed 55 health issues related to gluten(3). Dr. Mark Hyman states, these “include osteoporosis, irritable bowel disease, inflammatory bowel disease, anemia, cancer, fatigue, canker sores, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and almost all other autoimmune diseases.” He also points out that the occurrence of full-blown gluten allergy, or celiac disease, has increased 400% in the past 50 years(1)!

Many people have been living through irritations caused by issues with gluten, and many take medications to alleviate the pains associated with gluten. Oftentimes, simply eliminating gluten from the diet is the best solution.

Gluten and Weight Loss

As consumers become more aware of the issues surrounding gluten consumption, food companies will look for alternatives to make the same high-carb foods in a “gluten-free” form. I was reminded of this today when my wife and I did our weekly grocery shopping at a local co-op grocery store in the Twin Cities. I read a flyer that offered offered gluten-free cooking classes. The participants could taste all of the cookies, cakes and quiches they would make during the cooking class. In the case of sweets and treats, gluten-free does not mean “healthy.”

Eliminating gluten can be helpful, but eating high-carb, gluten-free foods is likely to have the same effects on weight gain as the gluten-filled options. It’s better to go back to the way we originally ate before all the gluten-filled options were available. A diet filled with vegetables, fruit, meat, seeds, nuts, and some other carbohydrates (depending on activity level) is a better way to eat for those with and without gluten issues.

Determining Gluten Sensitivities

There are a few ways to test for gluten sensitivities. They include a blood test, skin-prick test, food challenge testing and an elimination diet(4). The easiest thing to do is an elimination diet. Eliminate all gluten-containing foods for 2-4 weeks and then reintroduce them. During the phase of elimination, you may feel better. You may also feel the same, but if you have issues with gluten you may notice a difference once you reintroduce them. You may also find that the elimination of many of the carbohydrate-containing foods during this time leads to other positive changes such as a loss of weight, increased energy, decreased blood pressure and/or improved blood lipid profiles(5). Some common gluten-containing grains include barley, bran, bulgar, cereals (some), couscous, flour, food starch, gluten peptides, grits, oats, rye, spelt and wheat(6). A complete list can be found here.

Summary

Problems with gluten are a more serious issue than most people understand. With one-third of the population facing issues related to sensitivities, and those sensitiveness potentially contributing to any of 55 different health issues, it may require a change to the standard nutritional recommendations. Seeking a diet higher in whole grains, for some, could present more of a health problem than people realize.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

References:

Mark Hyman. Gluten: What You Don’t Know Might Kill You. The Huffington Post. 2 January 2010
Ludvigsson JF, Montgomery SM, Ekbom A, Brandt L, Granath F. Small-intestinal histopathology and mortality risk in celiac disease. JAMA 2009 16:302(11):1171-8
Farrell RJ, Kelly CP. Celiac spruce. N Engl J Med. 2002 17;346(3):180-8
Nordqvist C. What is Wheat Allergy? What Causes A Wheat Allergy? Medical News Today. 18 Dec 2009
Dr. William David. Wheat belly. The Heart Scan Blog. 23 July 2007
Celiac Spruce Association. Grains and Flours Glossary. Celiac Spruce Association website (http://www.csaceliacs.org/gluten_grains.php)

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

Multivitamins and Weight Loss

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:18:44 GMT

Can the use of a multivitamin cause weight loss? A study published this month in the International Journal of Obesity has provided some evidence that it’s possible. Eighty-seven obese Chinese women took part in a 26-week study which compared the use of a multivitamin/mineral supplement, a calcium-only supplement or placebo. At the end of the study, those taking the multivitamin/mineral supplement had:

“significantly lower body weight, body mass index, fat mass, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, significantly higher resting energy expenditure and HDL cholesterol, as well as a borderline significant trend of lower respiratory quotient (which would signify an increase in fat utilization over carbohydrate) and waist circumference. The calcium group also had a significantly higher HDL cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol levels compared with the placebo group(1).”

This is an interesting study in that the only nutritional change for the participants was the use of the multivitamin or calcium supplement. According to the study, the simple act of taking a multivitamin/mineral helped create these changes.

Past studies have looked at population use of multivitamins and compared weight with multivitamin use. Looking at a large population, individuals’ body weights tend to increase with a decreased use of a multivitamin(2). It would make sense that those who eat a more nutritious diet would also use a multivitamin, and also be at a more healthy weight. That is why it is difficult to look at a large population and say “people at healthier weights use a multivitamin, so the use of a multivitamin helps control weight.” This new study provides some evidence that a multivitamin can help control weight outside of a change in diet.

This leads to additional questions, such as “If multivitamin use helps reduce body weight, how does it work?” The challenge is determining if individual vitamins or minerals contribute to the weight loss, or if it’s the synergistic effect of some or all of them that contributes. Today, there is only speculation. It makes sense, though, that the combination of all of the vitamins and minerals would provide the weight loss benefit as opposed to any one of them by themselves. Our body’s chemistry is extremely complicated, and it is possible that a diet deficient in vitamins and minerals can disrupt our metabolism enough to cause weight gain.

As the study’s authors concluded, “…multivitamin and mineral supplementation could reduce body weight and fatness and improve serum lipid profiles, possibly through increased energy expenditure and fat oxidation.” Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit, but don't overlook the importance of a high-quality multivitamin.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

References:

Li Y, Wang C, Shu K, Feng RN, Sun CH. Effects of multivitamin and mineral supplementation on adiposity, energy expenditure and lipid profiles in obese Chinese women. Inter Jour Ob. 2010. 34(2)

Kimmons J, Blanck HM, Tohill BC, Zhang J, Kettel L. Multivitamin Use in Relation to Self-Reported Body Mass Index and Weight Loss Attempts. MedGenMed. 2006 8(3)

Are you hungry, or do you just want to eat?

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:15:26 GMT

Do you have your clock set to remind you to eat every few hours? Are you afraid that if you miss a meal you'll slow down your metabolism? Food manufacturers would love to have you eating every few hours, especially on high-carb, low-protein snacks that keep you craving more. Is it really necessary to eat every few hours in order to lose or manage weight?

According to a study published in Nutrition and Metabolism, people had more success with weight loss when they waited to eat until they felt hungry than when they stuck to a reduced-calorie, regular feeding schedule. Weight loss programs often recommend eating every few hours, but for some people, it may work against them.

The purpose of the study was to understand if waiting for feelings of hunger before eating had a positive effect on weight loss, which it did. Overweight individuals in the study, who only ate when they felt hungry, ended up eating an average of 1082 calories (+/- 290), which is lower than is often recommended on many nutrition plans. It makes sense, though, that if an individual has excess body fat, that extra fat can be used to make up any additional energy needs. The overweight group in the study also ate fewer meals than the normal weight group, with an average of 3.4 meals per day. In the study, normal weight individuals tended to eat more calories than the overweight group without any weight gain. Without excess body fat to provide energy, normal weight individuals would need to eat more calories to meet their daily nutrient needs(1).

Intuitive Eating

Intuitive eating has been recommended as a way managing calorie intake by listening to one's body. When foods eaten come from high-quality, whole-food sources, it can be a practical approach to controlling food intake. However, eating nutrient-less, highly processed foods do not allow the body to provide the same kinds of hunger signals that whole foods do(2).

Many of the prepackaged snacks and meals are high in processed carbohydrates and low in quality protein. The high amount of carbohydrates in most peoples' diets sends their blood sugar up quickly, which also causes a large amount of insulin to be produced. Insulin sends blood-sugar crashing, which increases hunger. This can lead to a day of regular snacking on unnecessary calories. Over time, the unnecessary snacking can lead to weight gain.

Higher-protein diets tend to better maintain satiety. Higher-fiber intake from fruits and vegetables can also help support satiety. Eating plenty of protein and vegetables at each meal will likely lead to a longer duration of time before feeling the need to eat again. Protein shakes can also be useful for ensuring protein is consumed at each feeding. For those looking to lose weight, this can be a major key to success.

See also: Protein & Body Composition

Should anyone eat every few hours?

For weight management, it appears that eating the right types of foods, when you feel the need to eat, is more appropriate than simply forcing yourself to eat every few hours. To gain even more insight into what your body needs, testing your resting metabolic rate every few months and comparing your measurements with a journal of your food intake can be extremely helpful. You may be surprised to see how easy it is to keep your nutrient intake on target when your diet comes from real foods instead of processed foods.

There are individuals who would be best not waiting for feelings of hunger before eating. Those who are training heavily may find they have a reduced appetite. If they do not consciously make themselves eat, they may not recover from their workouts, or even worse, become overtrained. Those looking to add lean body mass may also need to eat more often than their body is telling them in order to stay in a positive caloric balance(3).

Summary

The more we have veered from a diet of natural, unprocessed foods, the more rules we end up needing to follow in order to not gain weight. How often we should eat is a great example. Eating small meals of high-quality food is a great way to give your body what it needs. Unfortunately, as a population, the "high-quality food" part of that principle can be forgotten. The lower the quality of food, the less satisfied our bodies may feel. The less satisfied we feel, the more food we may eat. That's not a good cycle to get on. If you can break the cycle and focus on quality nutrients, your body may clearly tell you how much it needs to maintain an optimal weight.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

References:

1. Ciampolini M, Lovell-Smith D, Sifone M. Sustained self-regulation of energy intake. Loss of weight in overweight subjects. Maintenance of weight in normal-weight subjects. Nutr & Metab. 2010, 7:4

2. Gary Taubes. Good Calories, Bad Calories. 2007. Anchor Books. New York, NY

3. Maughan R. The athlete's diet: nutritional goals and dietary strategies. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society (2002), 61, 87-96

Highlights From the Past Year in Nutrition

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:54:52 GMT

As the new year is almost upon us, many people will be planning out their strategy for 2010. To help you with that strategy, I thought I'd make use of today's post by presenting some of the highlights from 2009. Some of these are strategies you should consider in planning out your new year. Others are resources you can use to help you achieve your goals. Obviously, there will be things I missed in planning out this list. Feel free to offer your own ideas in the comments section. I have included links in each section in the event you'd want to read a little more about that topic. The books mentioned below contain links to Amazon and are for your reference only. They are not part of any referral program. With that said, here are some of the top stories, research and resources from this past year.

Most Researched Nutrient: Tie Between Vitamin D and Omega-3 Fatty Acids

As for vitamins, an incredible amount of research was published on the importance of vitamin D. With our mostly-indoor lifestyles, our bodies do not produce near enough vitamin D from sunlight, so supplementing the diet with this vitamin is very important.

Omega-3 fatty acids, specifically DHA and EPA found in fish oil, have proven themselves as a very necessary supplement to the diet. With their ability to combat inflammation, support nervous system development and positively affect lipid profiles, a high-quality fish oil supplement should be a staple in everyone's nutrition plan.

Biggest Food Industry Bust: SmartChoices Program

Earlier this year, after a long project involving several large food industry companies, a new program was launched called SmartChoices. The qualifications for products to be considered a "Smart Choice" were pretty much determined by the companies themselves. The most talked-about product that met the SmartChoices criteria was Fruit Loops cereal. Thankfully, the FDA quickly got involved and the program was discontinued shortly after it launched. The big take-away from the program: If you are looking on a box of food for a label to tell you whether it is healthy or not, it's probably not the best option anyway. Most foods in their natural state aren't grown or raised in a box.

Worst News Headline: Exercise Won't Make You Thin

If the goal of the August Time article was to stir up controversy, it certainly did that. Almost promoting the idea that using exercise for weight loss is futile, it presented excuses for skipping exercise that people just didn't need to hear. With 33% of our population obese and another 33% overweight, there's no doubt that people need to exercise. Of course, that must be coupled with a good nutrition plan for optimal results.

Mounting Evidence for Weight Management: Reduced-Carbohydrates

Low-carbohydrate diets were first suggested for weight management in the 1800's, but since that time there has been a limited number of quality studies done to compare lower-carb to low-fat diets. Each person's metabolism is different and some people can manage weight with a higher-carb diet. However, there is mounting evidence that suggests a reduced-carbohydrate diet may be a healthier option for a large part of the population. Recently, more studies have been done to show benefits of reduced carbohydrate diets. In a time when high-carb foods dominate grocery store shelves, this may be worth considering.

Up and Coming Diet: Paleo Diet

One of the benefits of following a "diet" is that it gives an individual some guidelines to follow, which makes shopping for food and planning meals much easier. Over time, some diets can become a lifestyle. That is the case with what's called the Paleo (or Caveman) Diet. Basically, the goal is to make your diet as close as possible to our diet from 10,000 years ago. In the end, Paleo foods are a lot of foods eaten in their natural state, such as meats, fruit, vegetables, nuts, fish, etc. Pretty simple to follow and easy to shop for.

Scariest Statistic: Obesity Trends

I just wrote about this, but it's worth bringing up again. Projections show that in only eight years, 45% of our population will be considered obese. On one hand, it's frustrating that we continue down this path. On the other hand, we have such an incredible opportunity to improve the health of our nation through the foods we eat, the exercise programs we follow and the way we manage stress. These are things you can learn and improve on through your Life Time Fitness membership.

Best New Meal Replacement: FastFuel Complete

I have to throw this one in. It's been quite a while since Life Time Fitness has had a new meal replacement powder. Our newest version, FastFuel Complete, which became available in October, is incredibly nutritious: whey protein, digestive enzymes, Sunfiber, a proprietary fruit and vegetable blend, medium-chain triglycerides, glutamine and it tastes phenomenal. It's been great hearing from so many people about how much they love the new product.

Most Overrated Health Food: Agave Nectar

As people's fears of high fructose corn syrup and sugar in general have increased, they've looked for alternatives to provide the sweetness they're seeking. Agave nectar, with it's exotic and seemingly "natural" name, has gained favor in the health food industry. In its very raw state, it isn't bad, but as it's sold in most products in stores, the processing it goes through isn't far off from HFCS, and it ends up providing a higher percentage of fructose than HFCS does. A close second in this category would be honey, which in its raw state provides a lot of nutrition. Again, most honey in stores is extremely processed and is not a good alternative.

Most Referenced and Recommended Books (Personally): Cracking the Metabolic Code; The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth; Good Calories, Bad Calories

All three of these books are outstanding for different reasons. Cracking the Metabolic Code, written by Jim LaValle, R.Ph, CCN, MS, is a technical book that thoroughly explains the complexity of our metabolism. It does a tremendous job of showing us why weight management is about much more than "Calories In and Calories Out." It should be a reference book for everyone in the health and fitness industry. The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Dr. Jonny Bowden, is a great coffee-table book and reference for real health foods. The book includes pictures with vibrant colors and is written in an easy-to-understand language. I pick this book up at least once a week for a quick 5-minute read on a different food or supplement for that day. Good Calories, Bad Calories, written by science journalist Gary Taubes has been around for a while now. It thoroughly reviews how we've arrived at our current philosophies in health and nutrition and where some good science may have been left behind. Many people speak of following "evidence-based" research and Taubes helps the reader understand what that really means. A must-read for nutritionists and Registered Dietitians.

I'm sure as soon as I post this message, I'll think of other things that should have been added. Hopefully, you'll be able to apply a few things from this past year as you look forward to a whole new year. Best wishes on a happy and healthy new year!

In health,

Tom Nikkola

An Epidemic With a Cure

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:45:10 GMT

Imagine this. You meet someone new every minute of the day, 24 hours per day, for 196 years. That's a lot of people! In fact, it's 103 million people. And that is the number of people projected to be obese in the United States alone, in 2018, 45% of our population! A recent report by Kenneth E. Thorpe, Ph.D. outlines the troubling future we are headed towards if we don't change course in the growth of obesity. Some of the major findings from the report included some incredible points:

Obesity is growing faster than any previous public health issue our nation has faced (that is worth reading twice). If current trends continue, 103 million American adults will be considered obese by 2018.

The U.S. is expected to spend $344 billion on health care costs attributable to obesity in 2018 if rates continue to increase at their current levels (That is more money than the Gross National Income of all but the top 14 wealthiest nations!). Obesity-related direct expenditures are expected to account for more than 21 percent of the nation's direct health care spending in 2018.

If obesity levels were held at their current rates, the U.S. could save an estimated $820 per adult in health care costs by 2018 - a savings of almost $200 billion dollars.

Even more startling statistics comes from the January 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:

A sampling of 324 4-year-old Chilean children showed that:

- 13% of 4 year-olds were obese

- 11% of 4 year-olds had central obesity (a larger risk factor than when body fat is stored elsewhere)

- More than 20% had lipid disorders

- 70% of the children had at least one cardiometabolic risk factor

The report is on children from Chile. The United States has a higher rate of obesity, so it's likely that the obesity rates for young children could be higher than the percentages above.

Making a Change

The beginning of a new year marks the start of the season of new exercise programs, new diets, and new commitments. There won't likely be a change in the food options at the grocery store in the near future. People will have to shop with a stronger resolve to choose foods that promote health, reduce hunger, support blood-sugar management, and enhance energy levels. It is not easy to get started, but it's possible with the right approach. Here are a few keys to make 2010 a success:

Get support: Make your commitment with a friend, or get into a group program with other people facing similar challenges like eat or TEAM Weight Loss. People looking to make a lifestyle change, and are part of a social network or support community, are consistently more successful.
Start with a plan: At the start of the new year, many people attempt to eat less, without understanding exactly what to eat, and begin exercising more, without knowing exactly how to structure their exercise program. It is critical to get support from experts in Nutrition and Exercise. At Life Time, take advantage of a free FitPoint and Nutrition Consultation.
Start using Supplements: A high-quality multivitamin, omega-3 fish oil and protein powders are essential components of a solid nutrition and exercise plan.
Think long-term: Changing nutrition and exercise habits is not a short-term solution. The same principles that allow someone to shed the wait are the principles that allow them to keep it off, along with maintaining health status such as cardiovascular risk factors.
If the plan you're following isn't working, get guidance from a professional: Many people attempt the same thing they did the previous year, even though it didn't work. Every person is an individual, with a unique metabolism. If you're not seeing the changes you'd expect, talk to a Personal Trainer or Nutrition Coach for help in finding out what will work.

Changing the direction of health in our nation starts with one person at a time. Many studies have shown that as one person changes his or her lifestyle, it has a major impact on those around them. One person changing his or her life can have a significant impact on many more. This could be your year to be an inspiration for those around you.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

Resources:

Thorpe K. The Future Cost of Obesity: National and State Estimates of the Impact of Obesity on Direct Health Care Expenses. Emory Univeristy. November, 2009.

Corvalan C, Uauy R, Kain J, Martorell R. Obesity indicators and cardiometabolic status in 4-y-old children. J Clin Nutr. 2010;91:166-74

Exercise and Insulin Resistance

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:26:01 GMT

Insulin resistance is a growing issue in today's Western-culture populations. More common in overweight and obese individuals, insulin resistance is associated with food choices and physical conditioning. A review paper entitled Evolution, body composition, insulin receptor competition, and insulin resistance, found in the August issue of Preventative Medicine, discusses the body's response to insulin as it becomes more and more deconditioned.

Body Composition Then and Now

According to the paper, our Stone Age ancestors maintained fairly athletic physiques, quite different than the average condition we see in the population today .Today's well-trained male athletes average about 10% of their body weight as fat mass and about 50% of their body weight as muscle. The remaining comes from water, bone, organs, etc. Females average about 15% fat mass and 45% muscle. In Stone Age times, average males had body composition similar to today's athletes, and Stone Age women held body fat levels slightly higher than today's female athletes, closer to 20-25% for the average Stone Age woman. Today, the average male has over 25% fat and the average female is over 35% fat, greatly increasing their chance of insulin resistance.

Body Composition Affects Insulin Resistance, or Insulin Resistance Affects Body Composition?

The authors discuss the fact that both fat cells and muscle cells have receptors for insulin. Interestingly, when muscle tissue is stimulated by insulin, it has a much stronger effect with clearing glucose (blood sugar) from the blood. This means that as the number of fat cells increase relative to muscle, more insulin will dock to the fat cells than the muscle cells. Since blood sugar levels are not reduced as much when insulin docks to fat cells instead of muscle cells, blood sugar levels stay higher. If blood sugar stays higher, more insulin needs to be secreted. As more insulin is secreted, more body fat is stored and less is able to be burned. All that to say that as body fat levels increase, it sets the body up to store even more body fat more easily.

On the flip-side, increasing muscle tissue, and improving the condition of that tissue (VO2 Max), allows muscle to have more of a role in the regulation of insulin. Muscle stimulated by insulin will clear blood sugar levels faster than insulin-stimulated fat cells, which helps drop insulin levels faster. This gets the body in a state to burn fat again. The authors present an interesting equation to show the effectiveness of insulin in the body. It looks like this:

The equation is a great visual of the importance of adding or maintaining lean body mass and improving VO2 max, which is a major benefit of exercise. It means insulin is more effective when there is more well-conditioned muscle and less total fat. Body fat can be added through poor nutritional choices such as an excess of carbohydrates. It can also be added by reduced activity, metabolic imbalances, stress, and medications.

Once the body begins accumulating fat, or losing muscle tissue, a downward spiral can be created where storing body fat becomes easier and easier. To reverse the spiral, controlling insulin through exercise and a more moderate-carbohydrate diet can be a couple of good first-steps. Nutritional supplements can also be a significant support for blood-sugar regulation. In certain circumstances, other alternatives are necessary under the guidance of a healthcare professional. Train right, eat well, choose the right nutritional supplements, and get that Stone Age body back.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

Reference:

Eaton SB, Cordain L, Sparling P. Evolution, body composition, insulin receptor competition, and insulin resistance. Preventative Medicine. August 15, 2009

It's Not The Turkey That Knocks You Out On Thanksgiving

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:08:04 GMT

As far back as I can remember, our family always went to my Godparents house for Thanksgiving. Many of the great-tasting foods were the same from year to year and the day often unfolded much the same. We'd arrive, visit, have appetizers while watching one of the football games, eat dinner, dessert and then like magic, the adult men would fall fast asleep while the women visited in the kitchen. I can still see and hear my Godfather, Bill, snoring on the chair and my Dad sound asleep on the couch. Year after year, someone would say, "It's the turkey. That tryptophan puts you right to sleep."

Is there something special about turkey that really does knock you out, especially on Thanksgiving day? Why is it that you can have turkey on other days and there's no effect? Is there something special about a baked turkey? Or is it possible the turkey really has nothing to do with the afternoon coma many people are put in following Thanksgiving dinner?

Turkey Isn't a "Sleeping Pill"

Turkey has gotten its reputation for inducing sleep based on the fact that it contains the amino acid l-tryptophan. The body uses tryptophan to produce the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is necessary to support rest, relaxation and restful sleep. Taking the amino acid tryptophan by itself may help support sleep, which could be where turkey got is sleep-inducing reputation. However, turkey is not really deserving of this reputation.

Turkey does not contain a significant amount of tryptophan compared to other foods, especially other protein-containing foods. The chart below shows the amount of tryptophan in a 3.6 ounce (100 gram) serving. As you can see, there are many other foods that have a higher concentration of tryptophan than turkey, yet none of these foods have the reputation for inducing sleep. Tryptophan competes with other amino acids in food to be absorbed into the brain. The small amount found in food is likely not enough to cause sleep, especially in the presence of the other amino acids. So if the turkey doesn't do it, what puts people to sleep?

Food	Tryptophan (gr / 3.6 oz portion)
Dried Egg White	1.00
Dried Spirulina	0.93
Dried Atlantic Cod	0.70
Raw Soybeans	0.59
Parmesan Cheese	0.56
Caribou	0.46
Sesame Seed	0.37
Cheddar Cheese	0.32
Sunflower Seed	0.30
Pork Chop	0.25
Turkey	0.24
Chicken	0.24
Beef	0.23
Salmon	0.22
Atlantic Perch	0.21
Lamb Chop	0.21
Egg	0.17
White Wheat Flour	0.13
White Rice	0.08
Milk	0.08
Russet Potatoes	0.02

Adapted from the USDA nutrient database and Wikipedia

Then what causes me to fall asleep?

Considering a typical Thanksgiving Day meal, the list of foods likely includes: appetizers (typically high in carbohydrates), dinner rolls, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, turkey, green bean casserole, cranberries (usually sweetened) and of course, pumpkin pie. Although dinners vary from family to family, the majority of the foods will be fairly high in carbohydrate. The only food choice high in protein is the turkey, ham or something similar. Using my personal example from above, first come the appetizers. They're likely high in carbohydrates (yes, they're probably high in fat, too, but that won't impact blood sugar). Then comes the meal with a huge load of carbohydrates, followed by dessert, with more sugar and carbohydrates. Depending on where you get the information, Thanksgiving meals are between 3000-4500 calories.

So, once you're loaded up with carbohydrates, your blood-sugar goes up, up, up for a while and at some point it will come crashing down. That's when the lights go out. Along with falling blood-sugar, a couple of other things take place while you're sitting on the couch, more stuffed than the turkey ever could have been. Your intestines stretch out to handle the large volume of food, which can have the opposite impact of the "fight or flight" response on your nervous system. The huge feeding causes your nervous system to relax and induce sleep. Also, your digestive system needs more blood than normal to support the digestion of the meal. Since your digestive system needs it, the rest of your body gets less blood than normal, including your brain. Your body just knows that the best thing to do is make you sit still and burn as few calories as possible as it attempts to digest the massive meal.

Summary

Overfeeding is never really a healthy thing to do. The best thing to do is eat slowly, eat only one serving, and fill up more of your plate with turkey and vegetables. Eating more turkey will replace a lot of the other high-carb/high-fat foods around the table and fill you up faster. In fact, the turkey that you were told would put you to sleep may actually keep you from overdoing the food and falling fast asleep.

If you do choose to overindulge, be sure you get yourself to the gym the next day. If you average 300 calories burned per hour during exercise, you'll only need to workout for...fifteen hours to offset your meal. Fortunately, Life Time Fitness is open 24 hours a day! Happy Thanksgiving!

In health,

Tom Nikkola

Resources:

Lieberman, H. Nutrition, brain function and cognitive performance. Appetite. November 2002

Coco Blaantyne. Does Turkey Make You Sleepy? Scientific American. November 21, 2007

Joanne Holden, Nutrition Data Laboratory, Agriculture Research Service. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 20. US Dept Agriculture

Really? - "Vitamins cause cancer?"

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:59:55 GMT

Headlines in major news publications and TV news stations drew attention yesterday with various headlines stating something like "Vitamins cause cancer." It's always interesting how the small number of studies on the use of vitamins and minerals that show a possible association with health concerns draw much more media attention than the large number of studies showing their benefit.

Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 and Cancer

The study that generated the "Vitamins Cause Cancer" headlines was published November 18 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study was completed in Norway. Performing the research study in Norway was interesting in that the country does not have a standardized policy for folic acid fortification like the United States does, so people have less exposure to higher levels of folic acid. The researchers concluded that folic acid plus vitamin B12 was associated with increased cancer outcomes and all-cause (any reason for) mortality in patients with ischemic heart disease in Norway. The main cancer that occurred during the study was lung cancer. The published review included data from two different research studies, the Norwegian Vitamin Trial (NORVIT) and the Western Norway B Vitamin Intervention Trial (WENBIT). The structure of the study and the results have been questioned by some experts in the world of vitamin and mineral research.

Daniel Fabricant, PhD, is the Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs for the Natural Products Association (NPA). He pointed out that participants in both studies were also being treated with beta-blockers and statins, and some were also being treated with ACE inhibitors and diuretics. The studies did not adjust for these. Without adjusting for these additional therapies, it cannot be determined how the results came to be.

Andrew Shao, PhD, Vice President, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), Washington, D.C. was quoted as saying the results from this study:

"are inconsistent with the larger body of data and that this effect has not been observed previously. In fact, as the authors themselves point out, 'Epidemiological studies have demonstrated no associations between intakes of folate or folic acid and lung cancer risk. Consumers, as well as researchers and healthcare professionals, must not lose sight of the safe, well-established benefits of folic acid supplementation and fortification for women of childbearing age to prevent neural tube defects, as well as other potential benefits of folic acid supplementation, such as for cardiovascular health and cognitive function in the general population."

Another unique aspect of the study was the very high prevalence of smoking in the Norwegian population compared with the averages in the United States. In fact, 40% of the participants were current smokers. Of all of the lung cancers diagnosed, 70% were current and 24% were former smokers. While this single study in a a very specific subset of the population may have raised some red flags, it should not stop people from ensuring they take in optimal levels of these vitamins.

An additional article, also published in the November 18 issue of JAMA, titled Assessing Cancer Prevention Studies - A Matter of Time, the authors explain that the occurrence of cancer has actually decreased during the time that folic acid fortification has taken place in the United States, which goes against the study findings. They also said:

"Cancer prevention efforts to not start or end with folic acid. Cessation of cigarette smoking and prevention of smoking in youth and adolescents remains the highest priority for cancer prevention. For those who do not smoke, eating a healthy diet and exercising to avoid weight gain or maintain weight loss will translate to lower risk of cancer, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. These are population-wide changes that take time, and the benefits of such lifestyle changes can take years, even decades to realize."

Benefits of Folic Acid and Vitamin B12

There is a significant amount of research on the benefits of folic acid and Vitamin B12 supplementation. Some of the conclusions from other studies on Vitamin B12 and folic acid are listed below:

Taking a daily supplement including both folic acid and vitamin B12 would reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, as well as provide a cost effective means of maintaining health
A daily regime of aspirin or B-Vitamins may help reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment
The use of vitamin B12, B6 and folate supplements aids in recovery after heart surgery
Folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 help to improve cognitive functions such as memory, processing speed and verbal abilities
Vitamin B12 has been proven to be a pain reliever, and is safe and well-tolerated

This is a very small sample of the conclusions of other studies on folic acid and vitamin B12 which doesn't begin to describe all of the potential benefits of optimal folic acid and vitamin B12 intake. The evidence overall suggests a strong need for the use of folic acid and vitamin B12, consumed through food and supplements. Even though the headlines make for an attention-grabbing story, be sure to get all of the facts surrounding the use of vitamin and mineral supplements before you consider giving up on an an important component of a sound nutrition program. They don't replace the need for nutrition from food, but are an important part of ensuring your take in optimal levels of these essential micronutrients.

In health,

References:

Tice JA, Ross E, Coxson PG, Rosenberg I, Weinstein MC, Hunik MG, Goldman PA, Williams L, Goldman L. Cost-effectiveness of vitamin therapy to lower plasma levels for the prevention of coronary heart disease: effect of grain fortification and beyond. JAMA. 286(8):936-43, 2001 Aug 22-29

Clarke R, Harrison G, Richards S. Effects of vitamins and aspirin on markers of platelet activation, oxidative stress and homocysteine in people at high risk of dementia. Journal of Internal Medicine. 254(1):67-75, 2003 Jul.

Schnyder G, Roffi M, Pin R, Flammer Y, Lange H, Eberli FR, Meier B, Turi ZG, Hess OM. Vitamin B12 aids Heart Surgery Recovery. New Eng Jour Med. 345(22)1593-600, 2001 Nov 29

Bryan J, Calvaresi E, Hughes D. Vitamin B12 Helps to Improve Memory. Jour of Nutr. 132(6)1345-56, 2002 Jun.

Mauro Gl, Martorana U, Ctaldo P, Brancato G, Letzia G. Vitamin B12 for Lower Back Pain. Europ Rev for Med & Pharm Sci. 4(3):53-8, 2000 May-Jun

Neutraceuticals World. Study Links Folic Acid with Cancer Risk. neutraceuticalsworld.com

Ebbing M, Bonna KH, Nygard O, Arnesen E, Ueland PM, Nordrehaug JE, Rasmussen K, Njolstad I, Refsum H, Nilsen D, Tverdal A, Meyer K, Vollset SE. Cancer Incidence and Mortality After Treatment With Folic Acid and Vitamin B12. JAMA. 2009;302(10):2119-2126

Drake B, Colditz G. Assessing Cancer Prevention Studies - A Matter of Time. JAMA 2009;302(19):2152-2153

Vitamins, Minerals and Weight Management

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:06:21 GMT

Is it possible that part of the reason for increased rates of overweight and obesity are a result of vitamin and mineral deficiencies in our diets? Do we tend to eat more food because the food we eat isn't really giving us what we need? The October issue of Nutrition Reviews contains an article titled Impact of Micronutrient Deficiencies on Obesity, which explores some of these questions.

Some nutrition experts believe our cravings are a result of nutrients our body is not getting through diet, which tend to cause us to eat more food than we otherwise would. The thought is, our cravings for calories, are the result of a lack of vitamins and/or minerals in our diet. Could part of the obesity issue be as simple as consuming additional vitamins and minerals, such as the use of a high-quality multivitamin? According to the report, some countries, where micronurient (vitamin/mineral) deficiencies are more common, obesity is increasing at faster rates than other areas. Some studies have shown, antioxidant, vitamin and mineral levels impact the levels of leptin in the body, an important hormone that regulates calorie intake, calorie expenditure and inflammation - all important components of weight management.

Antioxidants

Many studies have shown a correlation between deficiencies of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene and obesity. The studies, for the most part, have looked at obese populations and compared their levels of these antioxidants with those of normal-weight individuals. At this point, the results show there is an association, not that one causes the other. There is not enough data to show whether the issue is that deficient individuals can become obese, or if individuals who are obese tend to eat a diet that causes deficiencies. There is an association between deficiency in vitamin E and C, and abdominal fat, which is the most unhealthy place to store body fat. Associations between carotene levels and insulin resistance have also been seen in obese adults. Does that mean a lack of carotene can help cause insulin resistance? Not necessarily, but the association between the two does raise some red flags.

Vitamin D

It's almost impossible to read the health section of any news publication today without seeing an article on vitamin D. There are many issues that have been found with low levels of vitamin D, including issues with obesity. Low vitamin D levels are very common among obese adults. Since many of us live in areas of the country with seasonal changes in temperature and sun exposure, vitamin D deficiency is a very real and common concern. Maintaining sufficient vitamin D levels is important at all age levels, as obese children are often deficient in vitamin D like adults are. Testing for vitamin D deficiency is becoming more common, and is often recommended to ensure adequate levels are maintained year-round. If you are concerned about your level of vitamin D, talk to your doctor about testing your 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

Other Vitamins and Minerals

There is a significant amount of evidence showing the associations between obesity and other vitamins and minerals. Obese individuals are often low in B-vitamins, which include thiamin, B6, B12 and folic acid. Zinc deficiency is associated with obesity, visceral fat and inflammation. A lack of iron or calcium is also common in obese individuals.

Summary

There is much more work to be done to determine the significance of vitamin and mineral deficiencies in their relation to weight management. Overweight individuals often eat a calorie-dense, nutrient-poor diet, which could lead to excess weight gain. It is also possible that the lack of nutrients in individuals' diets could lead to increased hunger and cravings for poor food choices. It's quite possible that both scenarios take place. The best thing to do is to:

Avoid highly-processed, nutrient-poor foods which may further increase vitamin and mineral deficiencies
Use a high-quality multivitamin every day to ensure there are no gaps in your vitamin and mineral needs
Eat a variety of vegetables and fruit, ideally from organic sources.
Don't rely on food to give you everything you need, and don't depend on your multivitamin to take the place of whole-food. Use them both.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

Reference:

Garcia O, Long K, Rosado J. Impact of micronutrient deficiencies on obesity. Nutrition Reviews. Vol. 67(10):559-572

This articleis not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

Meal Frequency, Metabolism and Weight Management

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:59:20 GMT

You have to eat every few hours or your metabolism will slow down. If you miss a meal, you'll lose muscle. The more often you eat, the faster your metabolism will be. Do any of these statements sound familiar? Are they true? We'll take a look at these questions in brief today.

Eating more often is associated with decreased weight

One reason small, frequent meals are recommended, is in some studies, higher meal frequency has been associated with lower body weights. Oftentimes, those who eat small, frequent meals also eat more nutrient-dense, less calorie-dense foods. In this case, the type of food people select may play a larger role in their reduced body weight, rather than the fact that they ate every few hours. Some cottage cheese with fruit, or a high-protein meal replacement shake, is a much different situation than eating a couple of servings of crackers or a handful of candy. Without considering the type of food consumed every few hours, it would be easy to gain the wrong kind of weight by eating more often than normal.

Another likely reason people who eat more often tend to weigh less is a reduced level of hunger. Because they eat often, they may not get to the point of extreme hunger. It's easy to eat 1500-2000 calories in a single meal of fast food or take-out. If someone doesn't eat all day long, there's a good chance they'll eat whatever sounds the best and is most convenient at the end of the day, which is often a very high-calorie meal.

Eating more often does not raise metabolic rate

Some additional research showed that those who ate more often burned more calories throughout the day. These study results have led to a diet industry that consistently says "eating more often raises your metabolic rate." Again, this is correct to a point, but there are some qualifications involved. Every time you eat, your body burns calories to digest the food you ate. On average, your body burns about 2-3% of the calories you eat from fat, 5-8% from carbohydrates, and 23-28% from protein. This is called the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) or Diet Induced Thremogenesis (DET). In studies on meal frequency, when the source of calories and the total calories are kept the same, individuals burn the same number of calories over the course of the day.

Let's say an individual eats one meal of 2000 calories, which comes from:

- 55% carbohydrate (275 g)

- 25% fat (56 g)

- 20% protein (100 g)

Obviously, this is a pretty filling meal, and more than most people would eat in a single sitting. In a typical mixed diet, the total effect of TEF is about 10%, meaning in this meal, about 200 calories would be burned in digesting the food. If the same foods were split up equally over five meals, each meal would be 400 calories, which would be:

-55% carbohydrate (55 g)

-25% fat (11 g)

-20% protein (20 g)

It would require about 40 calories to be burned for digestion each meal. For the day, the total calories burned would be exactly the same. Research has shown that as long as the food is exactly the same, it doesn't matter whether it is eaten over the course of one meal or six meals. The effect on metabolism is exactly the same.

Now, let's say that someone is only focused on eating frequently and does not consider where the foods are coming from. They only eat a reasonable amount of protein at dinner. The rest of the meals and snacks during the day are composed of mostly carbohydrate and some fat. Even though they're eating often, because of the foods selected, they actually burn less calories because they come more from carbs and fat. In this case, the increased number of meals could be a disadvantage to weight management. If the calories are the same, but they come from less protein and more fat or carbohydrate, it would have a negative effect on TEF.

In another example, some people who make a point of eating every few hours also make a point of eating a larger amount of protein with each meal. It they eat the same number of calories, but a higher percentage of the total calories come from protein, they will burn more calories in digestion. Basically, any advantage in increasing metabolic rate would come from a higher consumption of dietary protein than from the fact that meals are eaten more frequently. Does that mean there's no reason to eat every few hours. Absolutely not. Eating 20-40 grams of protein every few hours is much easier to eat than trying to eat the same amount in one or two meals. It also allows for more variety in the foods eaten during the day.

Eating every few hours does not prevent "starvation mode"

Another misconception is the idea that the body starts to slow down its metabolism just a few hours after eating. It's possible this idea stemmed from the fact that within a few hours after eating, the body is no longer burning extra calories from digestion. The perception is that the metabolic rate has fallen. In reality, it's back to normal, where it would be without having eaten. It would be possible to raise the metabolic rate again with another meal, but the calories consumed will always exceed the calories burned in digestion, so that would not make sense.

Will your metabolic rate slow down without eating? Yes, but research shows it takes about 72 hours of fasting before metabolic rate begins to slow. In fact, during the first 36 hours of fasting, metabolic rate can increase and then plateau for another 36 hours. Yes, that's correct. Resting metabolic rate tends to stay the same or increase during the first day and a half of a fast. The important point here is that if you're planning to eat something that fits within your nutrient needs for the day, there can be many benefits to eating every few hours. However, if you're not prepared for a meal and feel it's time to eat again, choosing the wrong type of food, like a high-carb, low-protein snack bar, may provide less benefit that eating nothing at all.

In order to control cravings, calorie intake, and ensure enough protein is consumed during the day, eating every few hours is still a good idea. That's why meal replacement powders can work so well for weight management. A 2003 research review in the International Journal of Obesity showed that the regular use of a meal replacement powder led to greater weight loss. It isn't because a meal replacement will increase metabolism by itself. The reason MRPs can work so well for weight management is to control calories and cravings, and increase daily protein intake, which can increase the thremic effect of food and thereby increase total calories burned for the day.

Summary

To ensure your diet consists of an appropriate balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat, it's probably best to split up your food intake over several meals. While there is not a metabolic advantage to eating every few hours, there are other reasons to do so. Eating every few hours makes it easier to eat enough protein over the course of the day, which can increase the calories burned over the course of a day compared to a diet of the same number of calories with less protein. Eating ever few hours also helps control cravings, which can actually reduce daily calorie intake. Rather than gorging on an excessively high-calorie meal at the end of the day, many people may eat less total calories by eating smaller meals throughout the day. Aim for at least three whole-food meals, and try to include a couple of smaller meals or snacks. If on occasion you miss a meal though, don't worry. You're not slowing down your metabolism and you're not losing muscle.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

References:

Heilbronn L, Smit S, Martin C, Anton S, Ravussin. Alternate-day fasting in nonobese subjects: effects on body weight, body composition, and energy metabolism. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;81:69-73

Heymsfield SB, van Mierlo CAJ, van der Knaap HCM, Heo M, Frier HI. Weight management using a meal replacement strategy: meta and pooling analysis from six studies. International Journal of Obesity (2003) 27, 537-549

Bellisle F, McDevitt R, Prentice A. Meal frequency and energy balance. British Journal of Nutrition (1997), 77 (Suppl. 1), S57-S70

Webber J, MacDonald IA. The cardiovascular, metabolic and hormonal changes accompanying acute starvation in men and women. British Journal of Nutrition (1994), 71, 437-447

McDonald L. Meal Frequency and Energy Balance. Body Recomposition www.bodyrecomposition.com

Thisarticle is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, noras a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medicaladvice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at thechoice and risk of the reader.

Just Tell Me What to Eat

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:44:28 GMT

Take a walk through the diet book section at any bookstore and prepare to be amazed. There are countless books on what is considered the optimal diet for health and weight loss. It is no wonder we are confused on what to eat. Many books have an "acceptable" food list along with rigid rules to follow in order to get the results promised. Depending on the plan, the food lists vary on what is considered healthy. To make things even more confusing, we are now seeing healthy recommendations in the grocery store as well. As a side-note, the FDA has helped put a halt on the promotion of the most current labeling program, called Smart Choices, which was a food industry-driven labeling plan.

Today, I want to just quickly touch on some common "healthy eating" misconceptions. To keep the article reasonable in length, I've added a comment or two to explain why these "nutrition recommendations" may not be that nutritious after all. However, I encourage you to explore these misconceptions further. The comments section at the end of the article would be a great place to discuss each one of these further.

Eat egg whites, but not the yolk

With eggs being a nutrition staple since almost the beginning of time, it's odd that in the past 20-40 years, we suddenly need to stop eating the yolk. Egg yolks, especially from pastured chickens, are loaded with nutrients. Eggs are considered by many nutritious experts as nature's perfect food. They are also one of the best sources of protein available. Egg yolks are one of the best sources of choline. Choline is essential for brain function.

Drink and eat non-fat dairy

Milk straight from the cow has fat. In order to "de-fat" milk it has to be processed in a way that damages the health giving compounds found in milk. The best choice is non-pasteurized, non-homogenized full fat milk. If you are concerned about the calories drink a half-cup instead of a full cup. You will be more satisfied as the milk has healthy fats like CLA that keep you satiated. If you're not ready for full-fat, try the 2%.

If you can't get your fruit in, drink juice or eat dried fruit

Whole fruit is far more filling and less calorie-dense than fruit juices or dried fruit. Fruit juice is loaded with sugar, even if it's unsweetened. People have a tendency to drink more of it compared to whole fruit as well. Because the water is gone from dried fruit, people can easily eat far more dried fruit for a snack than they can whole fruit.

Salmon is a great source of healthy fats

Wild Alaskan salmon is certainly filled with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. However, farm-raised salmon, which is usually fed grain (can you believe that) does not have the same fatty acids because they are not fed their natural diet. Eat salmon often, just make sure it is Wild Alaskan.

Foods that say they are high in omega-3s are healthier

It's true, most people need more omega-3 fatty acids in their diet. However, foods with "added omega-3s" do not contain enough to enhance your health. Food manufacturers are adding omega-3's in the form of plants. Plant-based omega-3, such as flax, does not provide the same benefits as omega-3 fish oil. which is very high in the omega-3s DHA and EPA. Plant-based omega-3 is high in ALA, which must be converted by our bodies into DHA and EPA. We are not very good at converting it, so you're much better off getting the majority of your omega-3s through fish oil.

Avoid saturated fat

Saturated fat helps increase HDL (good) cholesterol and when it increases LDL cholesterol, it's thought to increase large-particle LDL. Large-particle LDL cholesterol is not thought to affect heart disease risk. Foods that contain saturated fat, such as eggs, coconut oil, and animal proteins raised on their natural diet can be part of a healthy nutrition program.

Nuts are a great source of protein

Nuts can certainly be part of a healthy diet. It's better to view them as a source of healthy fat as opposed to a protein source. They have about 8 grams of protein and 16 grams of fat in a serving. To get enough protein from nuts for a meal or snack requires a lot of total calories. Get your protein from other sources, and use nuts to increase your intake of healthy fats.

Soy protein is a perfect health food

With soy's low-fat and no-cholesterol content, it's easy to understand how soy is promoted as a health food. While soy has been eaten in Asian cultures for hundreds of years, it has been eaten in a different form than is usually sold in stores today. Edamame, tempeh and miso can be included as part of a healthy diet, but other forms of soy, like soy milk, contain anti-nutrients and phytoestrogens that have the potential to lead to health issues.

The book The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, written by Dr. Johnny Bowden, contains the Top 10 Health Foods of 15 different nutrition experts, including the author himself. Interestingly, none of the experts picked soy in their Top 10 list.

Summary

These are just a few of the many misconceptions common in the diet industry. Each time a new concept for healthy eating comes out, a new niche of products is found. The idea of low-fat led to hundreds of low-fat foods, many of which were not natural foods. The popularity of omega-3 fatty acids is seen in many foods now with "added omega-3s." If we strive to eat real food that has been raised or grown the way nature intended, they possess the healthy nutrients our bodies need to live a long and healthy life. As always, there is only so much that can be discussed in a single article. If articles like this lead you to additional questions, feel free to use the comments section below to continue the discussion.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

The Meat of the Matter - Red Meat and Cancer

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:20:03 GMT

"Red meat is strongly linked to cancer" reads the headline in a recent medical journal. Many such headlines have been found in newspapers, magazines and other article sources. Does the consumption of red meat really cause cancer?

Since the 1960s, meat has been associated in some research studies with higher levels of various cancers. Interestingly, there have been many studies that have shown no association either. Does one of the most popular sources of dietary protein in many countries really cause cancer? The most likely answer to the question is "maybe, but it depends." If you remember from last week's article, the definition of red meat is not black and white when you review what the literature says about meat consumption. The spectrum of "meat" can range from a highly-processed hot dog to a cut of grass-fed beef steak. To date, there has not been a clinical trial done to compare a group of people who refrain from red meat and compare it with those that do eat it for an extended period of time. Because of the cost of such a study and the challenge in controlling all the necessary variables, it's unlikely such a study would take place. Instead, the studies that have been done are epidemiological studies. They generally look at a group of people with higher cancer rates and compare that group, or groups, with another group, or groups of people with lower rates of cancer. Then they look at individual variables, such as total meat consumption and attempt to draw conclusions. Another way to do the study is to look at meat consumption in various populations and then compare the occurrence of cancer. The results of these studies have been mixed. Many studies have been done that show no effect of meat consumption on cancer risk, but they do not usually make new headlines.

Study Difficulty

Researching meat's effect on disease risks, including cancer, is a difficult task. Since the studies are epidemiological studies, they rely on food frequency questionnaires, which are known to be limited in their accuracy. As an example, one could ask a group of Americans about how often they eat red meat and compare meat consumption with another group from a country like China where there may be lower rates of various cancers and ask. There are several disadvantages to this type of study. They leave many questions unanswered, such as: What kind of red meat was it? Was it processed? How was it processed? Was it grass-fed meat or commercial meat? Then, the even more significant questions come into play, like: What about overall calorie consumption? What processed carbohydrates might be a part of the diet in one group and not the other? What other lifestyle variables are possible? What was fruit and vegetable consumption like? Is it possible that the health associated with plant-based diets comes more from high intakes of fruit and vegetable intake rather than limited meat consumption?

Cancer is more common in more developed nations, which tend to eat more meat, but also tend to eat more processed foods, sugar, less fruits and vegetables, might drink more alcohol, endure more daily stress, etc. So, to look at various populations and compare one piece of the diet and attempt to link it to a disease is a bit of a stretch. If we were able to so easily tie such associations together, we might also say that bottled water causes cancer because more developed countries, where cancer is more prevalent, drink more bottled water than less developed nations. Obviously no one would want to make that claim because it doesn't make sense.

What about meat could lead to cancer?

If studies have not yet shown a direct cause of cancer, does that mean there is no concern about meat consumption? Not necessarily. Carcinogens created during high-temperature cooking of meats can be part of the equation that could lead to colon cancer. According to Sally Fallon, "colon cancer occurs when vegetable oils and hydrogenated fats, along with certain carcinogens, are acted on by certain enzymes in the cells lining the colon." With the higher prevalence of vegetable oils and hydrogenated oils in American diets, the addition of carcinogens from meat cooked at high temperatures could increase the risk of cancer. Of course, this includes three variables - vegetable oil, hydrogenated oils and carcinogens. It's possible that if vegetable oils were not part of the diet, the carcinogens might have no effect.

Excess consumption of preservatives is another possible cause of the higher relation of meat consumption and cancer. Although they have been suggested to be safe when consumed in moderation, if people eat a diet mostly composed of processed, preservative-filled meat, they could increase their risk of certain cancers. If preservatives were a concern for cancer risk, a simple solution would be to avoid processed meats containing preservatives. This is as simple as reading a label and choosing wisely.

Gary Taubes, in his book Good Calories, Bad Calories presents another possible explanation. Because many of the cancers occur in "endocrine-dependant organs," a disruption in the body's normal hormonal balance could increase the risk of cancer. An imbalance of hormones could occur from a diet of highly refined carbohydrates, which affects the body's ability to regulate the hormone insulin. It's possible this could lead to other hormonal disruptions. Also, more studies are pointing to the fact that increased levels of body fat tend to also release additional hormones that could affect the normal balance of hormones in the body. As mentioned above, cancer occurs at higher rates in more developed nations where obesity is higher and more processed carbohydrates are consumed. Higher meat consumption happens to also occur in these populations. In this case though, meat would be guilty only by association. Along those same lines is the question about the hormones used in commercial meats. Although they are supposedly safe, they can be easily avoided. If there was even a small possibility that the hormones passed along in animal products, it is not worth it to take the chance. Choose hormone-free products.

Finally, the majority of today's commercial beef is fed a corn-based diet, which dramatically changes the nutrient profile of the meat. When cows are fed corn, they have a much higher concentration of omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids have been shown to increase inflammation. Cows fed their natural diet of grass have much more omega-3, which is anti-inflammatory.

Summary

To ensure you get the best nutrition possible, while avoiding any cancer-related risks, there are some simple steps you can take to improve your diet:

- Avoid preservatives. If you're going to eat processed meats, be sure to purchase preservative-free meats. Even if they are okay to eat in the diet in moderation, they're not necessary, so go without them.

- Look for hormone-free meat and dairy products. Specifically, look for packaged meat that says "raised without the use of hormones or antibiotics." A label that claims "raised naturally" or "antibiotic free" does not always mean it was raised without any hormones or antibiotics.

- As much as possible, try to purchase meat products that were fed a natural diet during their life cycle. Grass-fed, free-range beef, pastured pork and chicken, etc. When animals are fed their natural diet, the nutrient profile of the meat is improved dramatically. If you are not sure where to shop for farm-raised, natural foods, check out Eat Well Guide. All you need to do is enter your zip code and you'll find farms, stores, farmers markets and restaurants in your area that offer these foods.

- Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit. See Add Some Color to Your Day for more details.

- Reduce stress and get plenty of exercise

As long as you make wise choices about the type of meat you eat and how it was raised, it can be an important part of a well-rounded nutrition program.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

See also: The Meat of the Matter - Looking at Red Meat

References:

Taubes, G. Good Calories, Bad Calories. 2007. Anchor Books, New York, New York.

Pollan, M. The Omnivore's Dilemma. 2006. Penguin Group, New York, New York.

Fallon S, Enig M. It's the Beef. Wise Traditions. The Weston A. Price Foundation Newsletter. Spring, 2000

Brody J. Paying a Price for Loving Meat. The New York Times. April 27, 2009

Eades M. Meat and mortality. The Blog of Michael R Eades, M.D. March 24, 2009

Hansen W. Is red meat's bad name justified? Los Angeles Times. November 10, 2008

The Healthy Way FOR Life: Week 4 - Add Some Color to Your Day

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:28:41 GMT

The past two weeks we discussed the importance of breakfast and how to round out a complete breakfast with a high-quality multivitamin and omega-3 fish oil. If you're eating a higher protein breakfast and taking the appropriate supplements, you're likely feeling different later in the morning. Most people notice a more steady level of energy and less hunger. If you've taken those steps and made them habits, congratulations! This week, we'll take a look at how to add some color to your day.

The Standard American Diet (SAD) is pretty beige. Not pretty, as in "it looks good." It's pretty beige, as in "there is not much color to it." The majority of our food comes from breads, grains, rice, meat, and various types of processed foods. For many people, the only colors that are part of their diet, are the colors on the box of whichever processed food they're eating. While there is often debate about how much protein, carbohydrate and fat should be eaten, most nutrition experts agree that we could all benefit from more fruits and vegetables.

Benefits of Fruit and Vegetables

Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables provides your body with nutrients that are hard to find from other sources. Phytonutrients, found in fruits and vegetables, provide a variety of benefits, not all yet completely understood. Phytonutrients are antioxidants, which can help to reduce effects of free radicals. Free radicals are associated with increased rates of aging and are potential causes of cancers. The variety of colors in fruits and vegetables come from a variety of phytonutrients, which makes it important that your diet contains a variety of colors. Relying on just your favorite fruits or vegetables to meet your daily intake will not provide all the benefits you could receive from these nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods.

Beyond the phytonutrients, fruits and vegetables also provide good sources of fiber. Of course, fruits are much more calorie-dense than most vegetables, so a good rule of thumb is to try to eat three servings of vegetables for each serving of fruit in your diet. Because fruits and vegetables provide higher amounts of fiber and large amounts of water, they can help you stay full longer. Other nutrients, such as the minerals in vegetables, can help balance the acidic effects of some types of foods in the diet. Vegetables are also important for those on high-protein diets as they can offset the acidic effects of a higher protein consumption.

The various colors of fruits and vegetables come from the variety of phytonutrients they contain. There are generally seven categories of color of fruits and vegetable:

Red: Pink grapefruit, tomato, watermelon

Red/Purple: Beets, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, eggplant, purple grapes, red bell peppers, plums, prunes, red apple, red cabbage, red pear, strawberries

Orange: Acorn squash, apricot, cantaloupe, carrot, mango, pumpkin, sweet potato, winter squash

Orange/Yellow: Nectarine, orange, papaya, peach, pineapple, tangerine, yellow grapefruit

Yellow/Green: Avocado, collard greens, corn, cucumber, green beans, green peas, green bell peppers, honeydew, kiwi, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, spinach, turnip greens, yellow bell peppers, zucchini

Green: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, kale, Swiss chard

White/Green: Artichoke, asparagus, celery, chives, endive, garlic, leeks, mushrooms, onions

List adapted from What Color is Your Diet?

Making it a Habit

Habits are difficult to implement if they are not convenient. This is especially true with making vegetables a larger part of your diet. Fortunately, you can find fruits and vegetable prepared almost any way you want at the grocery store. You can find organic mixed greens, pre-washed so you can grab them out of the container, put them in Tupperware and toss them in a cooler with your favorite dressing. You can find pepper and carrot already cut up and ready to eat. Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries can be rinsed and thrown in a container. You'll even find many of these fresh-frozen, which are also convenient and healthy. One of my personal favorites is the pre-washed, organic mixed greens from Earthbound Farms because they come in various sized plastic packages, which I can put right in my cooler and take to work without any preparation at all (sounds like it's an advertisement, but it's not - I just really like it). If you've been following along since Week 1, you should be eating a higher-protein breakfast, which would have something like an omelet. It's easy to throw some frozen vegetables like spinach, onions and mushrooms into your omelet. If you're making a protein shake, half a cup of blueberries will give you some great antioxidant benefits and are relatively low in sugar. It might not be practical to get in all seven colors on a daily basis yet. Just strive to take in more than you have in the past.

Summary

I'm sure you're well aware that fruits and vegetables are important. Until you get yourself into the habit of eating them on a daily basis, it's hard to understand how satisfying they can be. Many people will find that as they begin adding more fruits and vegetables to their day, those foods tend to replace other high-carbohydrate sources of calories, which can quickly decrease the total calories they eat in a day. They also provide plenty of bulk to the diet, leaving you less hungry. With the sweet tooth that many of us have grown accustomed to, fruit is often a more appealing choice than vegetables. To avoid overdoing the fruit, try to eat three servings of vegetables for each serving of fruit. Also, remember that fruit juice is not the same as whole fruit. If you have had success in adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet recently, please share some of your secrets in the comments section below.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

References:

Heber, D. What Color is Your Diet?. 2001. HarperCollins Publishers, New York, New York

Patterson B, Block G, Rosenberger W, Pee D, Kahle L. Fruit and Vegetables in the American Diet: Data from the NHANES II Survey. Am J Public Health 1990; 80:1443-1449.

The Meat of the Matter - Looking at Beef

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:30:43 GMT

Recently, there has been a attention about meat in the diet. One side of the argument says we should eat more and the other says we should not eat any. Today's article will set the stage with some basic information about meat and our diet. Future articles will look at individual questions around this topic.

Can you remember playing the telephone game when you were a kid? One person would come up with a sentence and whisper it in the ear of the person next to them. That person would then whisper it in the ear of person next to them and so on. Eventually the sentence would make it to the last person who would then say the sentence out loud. Inevitably, the sentence would be quite distorted from the original. This is a common situation in nutrition and the concerns around meat consumption are a great example.

What are the concerns?

There are several issues/questions related to meat consumption:

- Does meat consumption lead to obesity?

- Does meat consumption cause heart disease or cancer?

- Is it safe to eat meat?

- If I'm going to eat meat, what kind of meat should it be?

- Are there ethical issues involved with eating meat?

It is important to consider where the advice you are receiving comes from and what the facts are in relation to that advice. There are parties interested in seeing the continued rise in the sales of beef and there are those who would like to see all animal foods removed from our diets. The story from either perspective can be extreme. The truth is likely found somewhere in the middle.

Defining Meat

Before we can examine the questions above or understand what the research on meat consumption is saying, we should understand what "meat" is. You might look at meat on a continuum. On one end you have highly processed hot dogs and most deli meats. These can contain a high amount of preservatives, non-meat products, fillers, etc. On the other end of the spectrum, you may have various cuts of grass-fed, free-range beef. If you were to look at a list from highly processed to most natural, it might look like this:

- Most hot dogs and deli meats, meat in many microwavable meals

- More natural or preservative-free deli meats and other processed meats

- Commercial ground beef, steaks, roasts, etc

- Grass-fed beef, steaks, roasts, etc.

- Grass-fed, free-range beef, steaks, roasts, etc.

*This list is not meant to all inclusive but used as an example.

Although the list above points more toward beef, a similar list could be made for pork, poultry, even fish, although the names would be slightly different. The significance of the list above is understanding what the Standard American Diet (SAD) is composed of, which is a LOT more of the types of meat at the top of the list. When we see research on the effects of meat consumption on health, the SAD is what is often used for study. There is yet to be a study done on the long-term effects of high levels of grass-fed, free-range beef consumption. If there were studies done on this type of beef, they would likely provide data that supported a very healthy outcome from their consumption.

Where did the concerns about meat consumption come from?

The concerns about meat consumption come from a few different sources. First, since the 1950's, meat consumption has been associated with increasing risks of heart disease and cancer because it contains higher levels of saturated fat and cholesterol. This is an interesting discussion by itself, but requires too much space for this article. Suffice to say, there has been growing doubt as to whether the saturated fat and cholesterol really have as much of an effect on heart disease risk as was previously thought. The second area of concern about meat consumption comes from the way much of the meat eaten today is processed. With the preservatives, fillers, even high fructose corn syrup and trans-fat in many processed meats, it's possible these ingredients could lead people down a path toward less health and more disease. A third area of concern about meat consumption comes from the way animals today are grown to provide the meat we eat. Much of the meat we eat today comes from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), which are like factory farms. They make for a more profitable, low-cost operation, but disease is more common, the animals are not fed their natural diet and the treatment of animals can be questionable. This is a topic we'll discuss in more depth in the future. I would also encourage you to see the film Food, Inc. which is playing nation-wide in select theaters. It is a very powerful film that goes into detail on what farming is like today. Finally, the fourth area of concern about meat consumption would come from vegetarian groups. This is more of a personal choice which we'll look at in the future.

Summary

For today, the goal was to get an initial understanding of what is termed as "meat." Obviously, when meat consumption is analyzed in research using today's average diet, it is far different than the meat that was eaten even fifty years ago. In fact, Dr. Johnny Bowden, author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, in an interview, recently answered the question "What are three amazing foods we should be eating more of and why?" His answer was blueberries, salmon, and grass-fed beef. We'll look at why in an upcoming article. Next Thursday, we'll look at how meat consumption got a reputation for leading to obesity, heart disease, and cancer.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

References:

Bowden, J The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. 2007. Fair Winds Press, Gloucester, MA

Pollan, M The Omnivore's Dilemma. 2006. The Penguin Press, New York, New York

Food, Inc. The Movie

Fallon S, Enig M. It's the Beef. Wise Traditions, The Weston A. Price Foundation Newsletter. Spring, 2000

The Healthy Way FOR Life: Complete Your Breakfast Routine

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:26:56 GMT

Last week we talked about the importance of a good breakfast. Plenty of protein and the right amount of carbohydrates can set you up for a more productive, higher-energy, less-hungry day. If this was new to you, hopefully you felt a difference this past week. Before moving away from breakfast, there's one more thing to add to your morning meal to make it complete - multivitamins and fish oil. No matter how well we try to eat the right foods on a daily basis, it's virtually impossible to get in optimal levels of vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. Active individuals, as well as those faced with above average levels of stress also tend to use more vitamins and minerals.

Covering the benefits of each of these would take up far too much space than is available here. Instead, we'll just take a look at how to make their daily use more a part of your lifestyle. Studies show that between 50-70% of the population say they use a multivitamin. Of course, there is a difference between having multivitamins in the cupboard, and using them on a daily basis. The benefits of these supplements come from regular, long-term use, so making them a habit will be this week's challenge.

Quality Counts

As with most other things, you do get what you pay for when it comes to nutritional supplements. In the case of multivitamins, providing a more optimal formula, which uses mostly-natural forms of vitamins, proper dosages of minerals and includes additional, beneficial herbs, costs far more than a mostly-synthetic multivitamin that just meets RDI/RDA numbers. Much of the current research showing the benefits of vitamins and minerals, such as with vitamin D, comes from the use of these vitamins above RDI levels. That doesn't mean people should get as much as they can of all of the vitamins and minerals, but it does mean that there are some vitamins and minerals where you may benefit from taking extra amounts. A high-quality multivitamin will be formulated in a way to ensure you're receiving optimal amounts of most micronutrients, while not risking overconsumption. Calcium and magnesium take up a significant amount of space, so they are not normally found in a multivitamin in high doses. With these two minerals, you'll probably need to take an additional tablet to meet your daily needs.

In the case of omega-3 fish oil, you can find large variety of qualities and prices as well. Like multivitamins, fish oil can come from various sources. Ideally, fish oil should be sourced from small fish, in the cold, deep waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and Norwegian Sea. These oils provide the highest quality, as opposed to the oil from "farmed" fish. The concentration of EPA and DHA should be over 50% of the oil, which means if the fish oil contains one gram of total fat, the total of EPA and DHA should be at least 500 mg.

For proper absorption, it's important to take your multis and fish oil with food. That's why we started with breakfast as the first habit last week. If you don't eat a complete breakfast, the vitamins and minerals may not be optimally absorbed. They can also leave you feeling nauseous.

Feeling a Difference

Taking your multis and fish oil does not provide an immediate feeling or response, which makes adherence more challenging. Some people may mention a difference in energy levels from taking their multis in the morning, or improved sleep from their evening multivitamins. It is certainly possible that the supplement can have such an effect, especially if someone lacks some of the nutrients in their daily diet that the supplement is providing. B-Vitamins are important for energy, some minerals are important for rest and recovery. However, it can also be attributed to a placebo effect. Some people claim they have more clarity when they being using omega-3 fish oil. There is significant amounts of research on omega-3 and brain function, so this is possible as well, although there have been major research reports done on this aspect of omega-3 benefits.

Making it a Habit

So if most people won't feel considerably different from taking a multivitamin and fish oil, how can adherence become better? For the most part, it comes through education. As you understand more and more how important the various vitamins, minerals, and some herbs are in a healthy metabolism, longevity, and daily recovery from stress and exercise, you begin to understand the importance making this a daily habit. As you understand the importance of making this a daily habit, it will become easier to remember when you should be taking your supplements.

It's ideal to take the multivitamins and fish oil a couple of different times during the day, especially if they some in a morning and evening formula. As mentioned above, some vitamins can support energy production, so a higher concentration of these in the morning would be more appropriate, whereas a higher concentration of the "rest and recovery" minerals should be included in the dose later in the day. In the case of omega-3 fish oil, it's not a requirement to split up the doses. However, taking four or more fish oil capsules at one time can lead to more of a fishy taste, so splitting them up with your multivitamin intake would be wise.

This week's challenge of making your multivitamins and fish oil a habit might already be part of your day. For others, you make an attempt, but end up forgetting a couple of times per week. Everyone seems to have their morning and evening rituals, such as when they brush their teeth, when they eat, etc. The key is to make your mulitvitamin and fish oil as much a part of your day as these other habits.

In health,

Tom Nikkola