by admin on August 26, 2010
Gluten free is not a bad way to eat today, especially in America. And while it’s easier than ever with the amount of great tasting alternatives available today.
However, gluten is in just about everything, including ketchup, mustard, salad dressings and it turns out, even things that are called “Gluten Free”.
Case in point is a rice milk product called Rice Dream.
One of our highly gluten-sensitive patients called the company that makes Rice Dream one time to find out why she had a negative reaction everytime she consumed their product.
It turns out that if an ingredient is less than 2 percent of the total ingredients, it can still be considered gluten free, even though technically it’s not. Rice Dream is made with barley, but it’s less than 2 percent, so they can call it “Gluten Free”, which they boldly state on their website.
This little loophole does not bode well for people who are trying to avoid gluten.
There are two things you can do if you are trying to avoid gluten:
1. Go to celiac.org and find out what products they approve. People with celiac disease are so sensitive to gluten, they know what is safe and what isn’t.
2. Consider taking a gluten containing enzyme like DPP-IV (dipeptidyl dipeptidase IV), which has been shown in a number of studies to help the body digest gluten so that it has less of a negative impact on the body.
More will be written about gluten in coming posts, but for now know that it may be lurking in places you did not expect.
by admin on August 24, 2010
We all know about blood pressure. When it is too high, it’s a cardiovascular risk factor. It turns out that when it is too low, that could be a problem, too. But there is a third number involved with blood pressure that may be even more valuable than the blood pressure score itself.
It is called pulse pressure and you arrive at this number from subtracting the larger number (systolic pressure) from the smaller number (diastolic pressure).
For example if your blood pressure is 120/80 your pulse pressure is 40 (120 – 80 = 40). If your blood pressure is 110/65, your pulse pressure is 45 (110 – 65 = 45).
Numerous studies show that pulse pressure by itself is a cardiovascular risk marker. The higher the pulse pressure, the higher the cardiovascular risk.
Based on this information, which blood pressure is worse?
A) 130/60
B) 150/110
Most people would think (B) was worse because it is higher overall blood pressure. However, that is only part of the picture. The pulse pressure of person (A) is 70 which is far more concerning than person (B) whose pulse pressure is only 40.
The higher the pulse pressure, the more stiffness there is in the arteries. The more stiffness there is in the arteries, the greater the risk of a cardiovascular event.
So next time someone takes your blood pressure, subtract the two numbers. Based on research, a pulse pressure less than 50 seems ideal. I’d say somewhere around 40 would be an even better goal. A pulse pressure above 60 warrants some attention.
by admin on August 23, 2010
A study was just released saying that “Male Menopause Affects 5 Million” men. There are a couple things wrong with this.
Firstly, it’s not male menopause. Menopause means “end of monthly cycles” combining the Greek words menos (month) and pausis (cease or cessation). Therefore when men go through hormonal imbalances or hormonal shifts, it is not anything closely resembling menopause. Andropause is a better word for what men are experiencing.
Secondly, symptoms of hormonal imbalance are FAR more prevalent than a mere 5 million men. Researchers consider hypogonadism (low testosterone production from the testes) to be male menopause however, there are many other hormonal imbalances that can cause the same symptoms.
For example high estrogen, high DHT (dihydrotestosterone) and high androstendione can all contribute to low testosterone symptoms despite not actually having low testosterone.
Men can have issues with neurotransmitter imbalances, pituitary suppression, conversion issues, adrenal gland issues, oxidative stress . . . all of which can cause andropause symptoms.
Men don’t get menopause. We get symptoms of low testosterone, but it’s not always due to low testosterone.
by admin on August 19, 2010
Ritalin, a stimulant, calms hyperactive kids down. It seems counter intuitive, but if you give a hyperactive kid a stimulant, it can calm them down. Here’s why.
There is a region in our brain called the frontal cortex. It serves a number of purposes, one of which is to inhibit impulsiveness and hyperactivity. The better our frontal cortex functions, the less impulsive we are. Ritalin stimulates the frontal cortex, which can calm down a child’s hyperactive and impulsive behavior.
But this also pertains to us and weight loss.
The better our frontal cortex works, the better we can resist impulsive behaviors like cheating on a diet or deciding to watch TV rather than exercise. (Incidentally, exercise can help promote function in the frontal cortex.)
Reading, playing chess, exercising, crossword puzzles – anything that requires us to think helps stimulate our frontal cortex. As with all other muscles, if you don’t use it, you lose it.
If you’re cheating on your diet or not feeling motivated to exercise, try turning off the TV and learn to play chess, read or do something else that stimulates your brain.
You may end up finding yourself wanting to exercise and follow a good diet simply because your brain is working better.
by admin on August 18, 2010
We live in a society where if a little is good, then more is better. But we also believe the reverse is also true – if a low is good, then lower is better.
Unfortunately this is completely inaccurate when it comes to physiology.
For example, high blood pressure does seem to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. But low blood pressure can be just as problematic. We need pressure in our arteries and veins to distribute nutrients and oxygen to our tissues as well as to remove unwanted materials from our body. Without adequate pressure, we do not have optimal blood flow and without optimal blood flow, we cannot be healthy.
While some doctors view low blood pressure as a benefit to the patient, it is actually a health risk. Probably not of a cardiovascular event, but as an indicator that something is amiss in the body. Truth be known, if given an option, I’d rather have high blood pressure than low blood pressure personally.
By the way, high or low blood pressure is not a disease, it’s a symptom. To artificially lower high blood pressure with drugs OR natural products does not change one’s cardiovascular risk, it merely takes away one of the body’s alarms telling you something is not quite right.
