Thursday, June 20, 2013

Weight Loss

I know this is a worn out topic but I just have to go here yet again, one more time. I know when I was looking for a way to loose weight, I was always looking for that "something new" that would help me be successful. The "magic bullet" to end all my misery just had to be out there somewhere? Where oh where to find what I needed to loose the weight in a successful way.

My long history of dieting, trying to loose weight led me to be very skeptical of ever getting a handle on my weight. I felt I had a lot going against me being successful. Family history of being obese, I was older and my metabolism was slower, family history of low thyroid all helped to discourage me from even trying to, yet again, one more time, to loose the weight.

Thankfully, 3 years ago I found a way of eating that I was able to follow and loose not only all the weight I wanted to plus more. I just spent some time this morning talking with my beautiful daughter-in-law about the various ways to loose weight. I lost weight using "Let's Do Lunch". This program teaches you how to eat not only for weight loss but also for health. Since I am such a health nut this really spoke to me. I have kept the weight off and am still excited about this way of eating.

So for me the LDL way of eating worked great and I know it works for others. However the discussion went like this, not everyone has the same metabolism and not everyone has the same mindset. When it comes to loosing weight it is a combination of mindset, determination and metabolism. I think the most important is mindset being attitude. Everyone has their jump off point and what they can and can not tolerate. I use a "how healthy is this way of eating" format to determine if the diet is a good one. The next most important criteria is that you have to love the foods that you are eating.

The more you get away from processed foods the better your food tastes to you. But you still have to start with foods you love even with numbed out taste buds. So fill up on those "good for you" foods before you even think of adding anything else to your plate. Hint: one week without processed foods will make those taste buds come alive. Then it seems like everything takes on a new dimension of flavor! Its like adding color to a black and white picture. When those healthful foods taste great, you are not even tempted to eat junk!

I have talked to many who have used the HCG protocol and diet to reset their metabolism and thus loose weight and keep it off. If you use this to help you get a handle on a healthy diet while loosing weight, I think this is a great way to go. It is fast and, if done correctly, not too painful. If I had not been so successful with LDL I would give it a shot.

I am now reviewing a book on aging and metabolism! Boy am I excited to get to the meat of this book. Even though it is 10 years old, it has some great info on little known research. The big issue is even though I have lost the weight and keep it off I seem to be loosing muscle strength as I age. Not too cool. Supposedly there is a way to increase your muscle mass as well as loose the fat thus becoming healthier as you age. Hey, that is for me! So look for my review of this book in the next few weeks.

Until then, to your best health possible,

Heathbug



Thursday, June 13, 2013

15 minutes with your HCP!

If you only have 15 minutes to pass on vital information to your Healthcare Provider what is the most vital information for you to pass on? What do they need to know? What information will help them know what tests are needed? What will give the information that they need to determine what the root cause of your symptoms?

Let me assure you that you as patient, can make a huge difference by passing on the most important information. If you answer the following questions before you go to the DR then pass that information on, you will be amazed at how effective your HCP will be at helping you.

What are your symptoms? Headache, can't sleep, depressed, leg pain, foot pain.
Be descriptive! describe the pain. sharp, dull, throbbing, use as many descriptive words as you can think of to pinpoint just what the pain, discomfort, problem feels like. Feeling sad, depressed, cry all the time, feeling a sense of doom?

How long have you had these symptoms?
When did it start? so many days/weeks/months/years ago?
How did it start? Suddenly or gradual? Are the symptoms getting worse? or staying the same but just not going away?
Is there anything that was happening in your life that correlates to the symptoms? new job, new food item, new medication, new supplement,new activity? This piece of information is very important!

What has been the pattern of the symptoms? Constant or does it come and go? Does the pain radiate anywhere? Which means does the pain start in one spot and move to another spot? Does the pain move around from spot to spot or is it constant? In the same spot/area?

Is the main symptom associated with another symptom? How?

Be as specific as you can about everything. Your HCP will love you for this specific information!

Share any information that you think might be even remotely connect even if you think the connection sounds silly. Let your HCP decide. If you feel sure the connection is there and your HCP doesn't see it. Trust yourself. After all you are the one who lives with you.
The more specific you are the better healthcare you will receive! You are more in control of your health care than you think! Take it and run with it.Be empowered to demand the best healthcare possible then do everything within your power to assist with what you can.

Till next time,

Healthbug


Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Gut-Brain Connection

Just a few weeks ago I attended a day long educational seminar taught by Merrily Kuhn RN,CCRN(r) PHD, ND,PHD. It was a very informative event. I learned a lot and had much of what I already know validated.

We all kind of sort of know that our gut health is very important! After all, when we have a stomach ache or some other abdominal pain, we just feel miserable. We know that diarrhea and constipation are related to our gut health, but did you know that the gut is the source of 90% of our immune system and that the gut and the brain are intricately related to our mental health?

Well known neurotransmitters are made in the gut. Check out Dopamine. 50% of this important neurotransmitter is made in the gut and 50% made in the brain. 95% of Serotonin is produced in the gut. GABA, Glutamate and Norepinephrne are also found in the gut. Now the light comes on and it makes so much sense. When you are nervous, you can get a stomach ache, diarrhea and more. This is personal validation that the gut is definitely influenced by the emotions, so it makes perfect sense that the brain would be influenced by the gut.

At birth, our gut is populated by the needed bacteria while coming through the birth canal. Breast milk contains a substance that the baby cannot process. Why is that? Research has verified that this substance is need by the bacteria to make it healthy. When our gut bacteria is healthy then we are happy and healthy. It is a symbiotic relationship which means that the bacteria and our bodies help each other out.

Many things in our diet and lives is detrimental to our gut bacteria and thus to our health. This is being recognized more and more by healthcare workers all over the country. Environmental toxins, antibiotics and nutrient depleted diets are part of the reasons why our gut bacteria can become unhealthy and candida, which is not so good for our health, can become a big time health problem.

Making sure that you take a probiotic when taking an antibiotic is very important. Just make sure you don't take the antibiotic and probiotic at the same time of day. Wait at least 2 hours between to make sure that the antibiotic does not destroy the probiotics. Eliminate sugar completely from your diet and limit the processed foods as much as possible.

The subject of healthy gut and it's connection with a healthy brain is vast. If this subject interests you I would suggest that you do additional research on the subject as the vast amount of information out there is just too big for the scope of this blog.

To your health and happy research.

Until next time,

Healthbug