Wednesday
Jul282010

Do you Have Pre-Diabetes or Diabetes?

DateWednesday, July 28, 2010 at 12:35PM

On an initial consult I ask my clients to bring a copy of their most recent blood work. As I glance at the numbers I may ask "when did you get diagnosed with diabetes?" I usually get a look of astonishment with the client saying, "my doctor told me my sugar was a little high and that I am pre-diabetic but not diabetic."

How do you know if you have diabetes? The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has clear-cut guidelines. However, I find these guidelines are not known or acknowledged by many health care professionals.

There is a blood test called the glycosylated hemoglobin A1C. Basically, this is a fancy word showing what your blood sugar has been averaging over the previous 3 months.

Laboratories across the United States have differing normal values, but the average normal for A1C is 4.0-6.0. Once you go above 6 you are technically diabetic, not pre-diabetic. It is like you are pregnant or not, not just pre-pregnant or a little pregnant.

Another way to diagnose whether you are diabetic is to look at your blood sugars 2 hours after eating a meal. If your values register over 126 on more than 2 occasions the ADA guidelines state you are diabetic.

I look at my patient’s fasting blood sugar levels as well. A fasting blood sugar in the 100-115 range could indicate diabetes or that one is on the verge of diabetes. Because these values fall into normal range your physician may not alert you to your level.

Obtain a copy of your blood results and look at your values over time so you have control over your health and knowledge of what is happening in your body.

A diagnosis of diabetes is not a death sentence. If your A1C goes over 6, altering your diet and exercise program can quickly put you back into the normal range. However, your lifestyle will need to be maintained. Diabetes requires daily management.

Knowing your values and the definitions gives you awareness of your health. Hopefully if you hear your health-care professional state "you have diabetes" it will not come as a surprise.

AuthorSusan Dopart | CommentPost a Comment |
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Monday
Jul262010

So What's the Real Story on Frommage?

DateMonday, July 26, 2010 at 7:10PM

As part of a nutrition consult one of the questions I ask clients is “what are your favorite foods?”  Invariably many will state “I love cheese but I know I’m not supposed to eat it.”  Cheese has a bad rap in America – too much fat, makes you constipated, only have the low fat kind.  The list goes on and on.

For the record I love cheese and eat it almost daily.  The more the better – fresh ricotta, Emmentaler, Gouda (especially goat Gouda) are some of my favorites.  Where did America get the idea that cheese is a bad food?  The French eat it every day and don’t have a problem with it.

In the 80’s it was widespread that one was to avoid fat at all costs to be healthy.  As a result many low fat foods emerged on the market including many types of low fat or nonfat cheese.  Unfortunately this left over mentality and altered food products have not gone away, perpetuating the idea that one is “sinning” if enjoying cheese.

Cheese contains fat and protein and calcium.  Many need a dietary calcium source which cheese provides.  Eating 2 ounces of cheese a day (2 nice sized chunks) can be a great snack along with a piece of fruit.

Cheese does contain saturated fat.  However, studies show the real villain is trans fat, which increases heart disease by at least 35%.  Trans fat is in processed packaged foods, a far cry from great cheese.  Consuming 10% of your diet as saturated fat will not break your health bank and provides pleasure and satisfaction with your food.

In addition, if you choose European cheese or cheese that comes from grass-fed cows it contains higher levels of omega 3 fats which is good for your health.

If you like cheese, eat some daily.  Have a reasonable portion and savor the taste of the real thing.  Just like processed food, the low or nonfat cheeses have been altered in some way and in my opinion are not worth the bite.  Having a little bit of France every day might not be such a bad thing.

AuthorSusan Dopart | Comment2 Comments |
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Sunday
Jul182010

Airport Food

DateSunday, July 18, 2010 at 10:02AM

In a rush to get to the airport I left my lovely protein filled lunch in the refrigerator, not realizing I was leaving satiation behind.  Fortunately I had packed a large bag of nuts and a banana in my bag beforehand, saving part of the day.

Arriving at the airport I remembered my faux pas but thought I would consider it an opportunity for growth and connecting with the real world of food.  I managed to pick up a string cheese prior to departure.

When the airline food arrived it was a turkey dog wrapped in a roll containing high fructose corn syrup among other delicate additives.  There was a salad, which looked like days old, and a packet of carrots.  I ate the carrots, my purchased string cheese and pulled a few nuts out of my bag finishing with the banana.  Not too bad for thrown together meal.

Arriving in the airport for our connecting flight I perused the airport food court- McDonald’s, Ben and Jerry’s, Dunkin Donuts and a Greenleaf’s counter.  I opted for the Greenleaf’s counter trying to figure out how to find some type of nutritious looking food with protein to sustain me till my final destination.

They had a “salad bar” or at least something that resembled the concept.  For $4.59 you could purchase a bed of greens and then have the counter employees add food items to your salad.  The items ranged from 75 cents to almost two dollars. 

I chose grilled chicken, Parmesan cheese and a hard-boiled egg.   The veggies looked sad and the rest of the accoutrements I could not stomach.  Various dressings existed in squeeze bottles.  The employees added everything, as this was not truly a salad bar.

I watched them adding close to a half a cup of dressing and opted to have olive oil and vinegar on the side.  Adding a bottle of water to my bill I sat down to eat.

The chicken was barely edible so I ate a few pieces and then mostly lettuce, the egg and some cheese.  Walking to the gate I felt physically satisfied but wanting to fill my stomach with the food of home.  A Fage yogurt with nuts and fruit sounded marvelous.

 I survived the airport culinary experience or lack thereof.  Next time I probably won’t forget my travel food.  However, it did not really matter since I was soon to reach my final destination.  The experience left me the opportunity to blog.

 Perhaps a key item to remember on the list before departing your house…do you have your food?  Though I ventured out I survived with using some knowledge and not succumbing to a fast food holiday.  Poor planning or forgetful thinking does not need to lead to a binge on the belly. 

 

AuthorSusan Dopart | Comment1 Comment |
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Friday
Jul162010

Avoiding the Menopausal Middle

DateFriday, July 16, 2010 at 5:44PM

Some days I feel like I am talking about the menopausal middle all day long. Many women in perimenopause and menopause start to gain weight in places they never knew existed on their bodies.  It is like their body is not their own and is now being inhabited by an alien takeover. 

Weight gain during this time is common for a variety of reasons.  One key to this season in life is linked to hormones.  Hormones are basically messengers that give the body signals about what to do, similar to traffic lights.  Hormones can control the immune system, metabolism, and reproduction, in addition to many other systems in the body.  During menopause these systems can change or become disrupted.

The hormone insulin becomes more dominant and resistant, which makes weight gain, especially around the middle exponentially easier.  The balance of what you ate and foods you tolerated your can now cause whole life cause problems.  Several studies show women who eat a low fat high carbohydrate diet during menopause gain more weight.  Shifting the diet towards more protein, healthy sources of fats and lowering starches is fundamental to keeping your weight under control.

A balanced health plan during menopause might look like:

  • Regular meals and snacks with high-quality protein
  • Fruits, vegetables and healthy carbohydrate sources at meals and snacks with avoidance of starchy and processed carbohydrates
  • Healthy fats – from monounsaturated and omega-3 rich sources
  • An exercise program incorporating cardiovascular and strength training
  • Incorporating omega-fats into your diet such as ground flax seed and fish oil since they help rebalance hormones

Since bone loss occurs with changes in hormones and age, weight gain around the middle is more prevalent.  Weight training can stop muscle atrophy or bone losses, which will then increase the metabolic rate and stop or minimize weight gain.

In addition, exercise can assist with mood stabilization, reduction of hot flashes, anxiety and insomnia.  Yoga is extremely helpful with moods and symptoms of menopause.  Acupuncture also helps rebalance the systems of the body.

Having an individualized plan to cope with the hormone shifts and weight gain can be very helpful.  You can dismiss the alien in your body and reclaim your body – it might require shifting the balance of what you are consuming and adding other therapies such as weight training to achieve your goals.

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Thursday
Jul152010

Cancer and Carbohydrates?

DateThursday, July 15, 2010 at 11:01PM

Many years ago one of my clients brought me an article that discussed how carbohydrate intake is related to cancer.  This article peaked my interest and since that time I have followed research linking carbohydrates to incidence of cancer.

Research over the last few years has consistently linked high insulin levels to development of certain types of cancers and cancer reoccurrence.  A high glycemic carbohydrate diet can increase production of insulin, which in turn can increase cell growth of tumors in the body.  When insulin levels are high, tumor cells can get the food they need to divide and multiply.

What about pancreatic cancer?

A group of researchers examined the records of 89,000 women participating in the Nurses’ Health study in 2002.  They found that women of normal weight who ate large amounts of refined starches, such as white bread and potatoes, slightly increased their risk of pancreatic cancer. Women who were overweight, did not get a lot of exercise, and ate a lot of starchy foods were 2.5 times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than if they ate other types of healthy carbohydrates.

One of the co-authors of the study, Charles S. Fuchs, discussed how replacing starchy foods that increase insulin levels with healthy carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables can improve your health by not only lowering risk of cancer, but diabetes and cardiovascular disease as well.

What does this study show us?  Although cancer does exist for multiple reasons one possible cause is consuming refined starchy carbs. Continually eating these types of foods makes the pancreas work harder to produce more insulin.  Besides increasing storage of fat, increased levels of insulin can stimulate tumors to grow.

Take home message?  Eat your carbohydrates from whole real foods – fruits, vegetables, nuts/seeds, and avocados.  If you eat starches, eat limited amounts and stick to brown or wild rice, quinoa, buckwheat and other truly whole grains. 

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