Is it Healthier to be Vegetarian?

In dinner and party conversations you may hear “I’m now vegetarian” or “I decided to become vegan.”  Is being vegan or vegetarian really healthier?

I see many vegetarians in my practice.  Although I am not vegetarian I respect those that are and see it as my job to help them be responsible about being vegetarian.

This week’s LA Times Article by Jeannine Stein was a great representation of what can happen with vegetarianism gone wrong.  The article Vegan But not Always Healthy showed a family who defaulted to snack foods and ate very little protein on a regular basis.

What does it mean to be a responsible vegetarian?  Being diligent about getting your protein and other nutritional needs met so your health is not compromised is responsible vegetarianism. 

I am not a fan of fake or processed food.  Many vegetarians default to packaged soy and other protein sources.  These foods contain multiple ingredients and are far from healthy.

How can you be a healthy responsible vegetarian?

• Get your protein needs met – consume organic eggs, grass-fed or European cheese, nuts/seeds, nut butters, beans, cottage or ricotta cheese and plain yogurt.  A combination of these foods can easily meet your needs, which vary depending on your age, size and activity level

• Consume calcium rich foods - this can be easy to do if you are eating cottage/ricotta cheese or plain yogurt as they are high in calcium

• Consider omega 3 supplements.  The three omega 3’s – ALA, DHA and EPA and essential to lowering inflammation in the body and assisting with hormone balance.  They also feed the brain so the rest of the body functions well.  ALA can be easily met with 1 tablespoon per day of ground flax seed.  DHA and EPA can be found in fish oil supplements.  If you prefer not to include these, there are vegetarian DHA supplements

• Eat your veggies (1 dark green leafy and 1 orange/yellow/red per day)

• Consume 3 servings of fruit per day

• Make sure to get your healthy fats – avocados, nuts/seeds, olive and walnut oil

• Avoid processed foods in packages with multiple ingredients

If you are vegan, it requires even more diligence and a consult with an R.D. could help prevent any vitamin or mineral deficiencies that can arise if your nutritional needs are not met.

Health is not about being vegetarian or not vegetarian.  Health is consuming whole real foods that your great-grandmother would recognize.  Foods that don’t have a label or less than 5 ingredients are the healthiest.

So the next time you’re at a dinner, maybe say “I’m a flexitarian.”  People will wonder what you’re up to.

Is There A Male Menopause?

Research on menopause focuses mostly on females and the changes they incur as they age.  However, did you know that men also experience physical changes?  The most frequent disorder of sex hormones in men is called hypogonadism, which is usually associated with a testosterone level of less than 300 ng/dl.

Hypogonadism is linked with an increased accumulation of visceral fat, insulin resistance and a risk of adult onset diabetes.  Overweight or obese men tend to have lower testosterone levels since increases in belly fat converts testosterone to higher levels of estrogen.  Lower testosterone levels can dramatically lower energy levels and increase depression in men.

Men with adult onset diabetes have a 70 percent higher risk of hypogonadism.  A balanced diet with healthy protein sources (lean meat, poultry, wild fish, organic eggs and low fat dairy, nuts/seeds) combined with natural sources of carbohydrate such as fruits and vegetables and healthy fats (avocado, olive oil) can dramatically reduce insulin resistance which can lead to weight and belly fat loss.

Adding a moderate exercise program to the above diet can synergistically lower visceral fat and restore balance in the body.  When weight loss occurs, estrogen coverts to testosterone which begins the process of restoring energy levels leading to vitality and sense of well being.

What can you do if you suspect you have male menopause?  Have your physician measure your testosterone levels and if low, supplemental testosterone may need to be prescribed. 

In addition a diet and exercise adjustment can significantly change your life and restore energy and well-being.  It’s important to realize that men and women share the journey of change and that males can experience changes in the body that need attention to keep harmony within the sexes.

High Fructose Corn Syrup, Leptin and Weight: Avoiding the Slippery Slope

Recent media ads informing you HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) is safe might lead you to believe consuming a soft drink made with HFCS poses no health risks. When you look at the current research, nothing could be further from the truth.

To understand the truth, we need to look a little at the chemistry of different sugars and hormone interactions. HFCS was developed in the 70’s from cornstarch that is made from genetically modified corn. This process results in a product that is less expensive than sugar, and is used by the major food companies to sweeten their products – anything from sodas to jams, ketchup, juices, and processed packaged foods.

Table sugar is composed of 2 sugars – glucose and fructose. All the cells of our body can readily metabolize glucose, but fructose is only metabolized via the liver. Large amounts of fructose going to the liver causes fatty liver leading to high cholesterol and triglycerides.

Since HFCS contains more fructose than sugar, the fructose is more readily available since it is not bound up with glucose, as is the case with natural sugar. Therefore it has a straight shot to the liver.

Now enter the hormone leptin. Leptin is one of the main hormones regulating appetite. I like to state that leptin lowers your appetite. Several recent studies revealed a diet high in HFCS increased the level of triglycerides, which blocked the brain’s response to leptin.

Therefore, if your body becomes insensitive to leptin, and in fact, develops a leptin resistance, the brain will continue to signal your body it needs more food and continue to store fat.

Judith Altarejos, Ph.D. a researcher at Scripps states “obesity results when the brain becomes ‘deaf’ to the leptin signals.” If your brain is continuing to tell you to eat, you will have a hard time losing weight.

Turning this situation around is not as hard as you might think. Consuming protein at each meal and snack, along with healthy sources of carbohydrate like fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and healthy fats will do wonders for turning on the leptin switch. Keeping refined processed sources of carbohydrate out of your diet is essential and necessary to keeping or restoring balance to the body.

So look for HFCS on labels and stay clear of the slippery slope. Your body and arteries will thank you.