Don’t be afraid of the Vampire: Breaking Down your Blood Values

With Halloween around the corner, you've probably heard about the rage of vampires and The Twilight Saga:  Breaking Dawn coming out in November.

Let's take a break from the candy this Halloween and understand what this vampire elixir is all about for your health.

You may go to the doctor each year to get your blood work done since you care about your health.  However, do you really understand the results once they come back? 

Some physicians are great at explaining each value and some just say, “your numbers are good.” 

Taking control of your health means understanding the values, if they’ve changed and what they represent.

For example let’s say your normal levels for a certain blood value like your thyroid hormones are at the top of the range and now they are at the bottom, which is not normal for your body.  Unless you keep abreast of this your health could be deteriorating without your knowledge.

Let’s start with a common labatoary value called your blood glucose. 

Blood glucose is related to how well your body is metabolizing food, specifically carbohydrates.  Since our diets are rather high in processed, starchy foods this is one I pay close attention to.

“Normal” values are between 70-110 depending on the lab.  However, having a fasting (without food) glucose value of 110 is not normal. 

Healthy fasting glucose values are considered below 90. 

I’ve had many a client come in with several years of blood work only to see their blood glucose values gradually rising over those years without their knowledge, since they were in “normal” range.

If your glucose levels are above 95 consider checking a value called your glycosylated hemoglobin A1C which measures what your blood glucose has been averaging over the previous 3 months.  The normal value is 4-6.  If your level is over 6 you are at a risk for impending diabetes and if it is over 6.4 you are considered diabetic.

Another important value now is Vitamin D. 

“Normal” values are between 30-100 but health experts consider optimal values above 50 since Vitamin d functions as a hormone and affects hundreds of metabolic pathways in the body.

Since it is almost impossible to get enough vitamin D in our food and most of us avoid the sun, this important nutrient is low in much of our population and needs to be supplemented.  If your values are 30-35 it is in “normal” range but having a higher value could help significantly help with your immune system, metabolizing fat due to lowering of insulin resistance, lowering cancer risk and optimal bone health.

Take home message?

1. Get a copy of your yearly blood work and have your doctor go over each value with you and compare to previous years 

1. If your physician is not available to go over the values with you, consider switching to someone who can or have an appointment with an RD or other trained health-care professional who understands these values and can help you make appropriate lifestyle changes

This Halloween get your numbers checked and be informed about their values.

Don’t be afraid to face the vampire at your doctor’s office - it could be good health for you and your blood.

Coffee, Insulin Resistance and Hypoglycemia

So here I am at the lovely Farmhouse in Burgandy, France (blog to follow about it) and eating a little French breakfast of fruit, cheese, and a very small slice of French baguette since that is all there was availalbe.  I usually drink green tea but decided to be truly “French” and have a café.

My breakfast is usually quite a bit bigger with an increased amount of protein but that was all there was so I decided to go with it.  Little did I know what danger awaited me just 2 hours later.

We left to go exploring for the day and as we arrived in a little town near by and all of a sudden IT hit:  hypoglycemia.  Low blood sugar not so bad that I wanted to pass out but definitely a “danger Will Robinson” do something right now type of moment. We had to immediately go and get some protein so I could function.

I think my last episode was about 15 years ago.  Since I eat so clean and have so much protein it has not been problematic since then. I was agitated since I thought I was beyond that but given my insulin resistant/diabetic genes you think I would have known better. 

Then a few hours later when I was thinking more clearly it hit me – it was the coffee.

I stopped drinking coffee at least 10 years ago since it increases insulin resistance and hypoglycemia but really wanted to drink a good cup in France.  Coffee can be okay for those with hypoglycemia later in the day but sometimes truly a toxic thing in the am…especially with inadequate amount of protein.

I learned my lesson once again – and hopefully there will not be another anniversary in another 15 years.  Protein is essential to those with insulin resistance and prevention of low blood sugars. 

And the take home message – I’ll be drinking my tea tomorrow and hopefully enjoying the rest of my vacation without having to deal with an immediate situation…which can just be a bummer of a set back on such a beautiful vacation.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution versus LAUSD

If you watched Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution last week it was beyond disturbing.

A chef comes from England to help America eat healthier and is treated like a criminal. We live in Los Angeles, one of the most progressive cities in the world with medicinal pot dispensaries, but cannot “afford” healthy food our children.

Where is the freedom and democracy that our country was built on?

The Los Angeles school board has given Jamie looks that could kill when he shows up at meetings, forbid him to enter any school kitchen or cafeteria and almost sent police officers if he showed up on school premises.

It is now a known fact that this generation of children will not live as long as their parents.  With diabetes, heart disease and cancer on the rise it is hard to think they have a chance at health at all.  And one of the main causes?

The American diet. Somehow we’ve forgotten that kids need to eat healthy also. 

With sugared cereals, colored sugary drinks and milk, an abundance of processed and fast foods it’s a wonder they are as healthy and resilient as they are now. This way of eating is not the way America used to eat.

We as a society must stop the desire of instant gratification for our youth by allowing them to have destructive food choices.

I’ve never had so many insulin resistant children in my practice who are sluggish throughout the day, with little to no energy to even be at school never mind run in P.E.  One 13 year old I see would try to pace himself so he could actually have enough energy to get through his day.  Unusual?   It’s more common than you think.

The results after 2 weeks of having a child or teen consume clean non-processed foods with more protein?  Energy way up, weight down and sleep much improved.  Food is powerful in so many ways.

When are we going to wake up and realize our children can’t continue to subsist on processed foods full of ingredients you can’t even say or recognize?

Hopefully Jamie Oliver’s Revolution can make a dent in achieving small changes in the school system which will provide a bridge and open up the conversation for health in our youth.  Until then, consider purging your home and diet of processed packaged foods with more than 5 ingredients. 

And if you have children in your life, consider making a healthy meal with them, or shopping at the Farmer’s market for fruits, and vegetables – you may be saving a life.

Protein and Breakfast?

“But what about my cereal? “  “I love my Danish and coffee.”

“It’s almost Anti-American not to have cereal or pastry for breakfast, isn’t it?”

What are the facts?  We are the most insulin resistant in the morning due to sleeping for 6-8 hours.  As the day progresses we’re moving around, increasing activity and getting on with the day.  This activity makes insulin more efficient and ready to work.

Eating an average bowl of cereal with milk contains approximately 60-70 grams of carbohydrate or 4-5 slices worth of bread.  How can that be a good start to your day?  Or how about a 60-gram carbohydrate bagel worth 4 slices of bread?

Studies show eating a strong protein breakfast within an hour of waking up can increase your metabolic rate, lower insulin resistance and stabilize your blood sugar for the rest of the day.  Sounds like a good trade-off to me.

How does that break down – what are some examples of a high protein breakfast? 

1. 2-3 eggs with veggies, an ounce of cheese (about 20-25 grams of protein) and sliced fruit or tomatoes on the side
2. 1 cup of plain Greek Yogurt (about 20 grams of protein) with 2-3 tablespoons of raw nuts and your choice of fruit
3. 1 cup of cottage cheese (30 grams of protein) with fruit and 2-3 tablespoons of nuts
4. Smoothie with protein powder, milk/yogurt, and fruit

Most of the above breakfast options are easy, portable, high in protein and contain approximately 15-30 grams of carbohydrate which is a reasonable amount for your am insulin to handle.

If you’ve been to Europe or abroad they eat a little cheese, yogurt, an egg, some fruit and maybe a croissant but it is not the core of the breakfast.

What happens if you eat a high protein breakfast?  It results in a more even blood sugar and appetite for the remainder of the day with less chance of binging, grasping for food or candy at the office; increased energy and less chance of weight gain.  In addition, it can improve your sleep and increase your sense of health and well being.

Sound too good to be true?  Try a 30-day experiment of having a high protein breakfast and get back to me.  You might complain about missing cereal but you won’t complain about the benefits you’re experiencing.

Is your Mood Tied to your Diet?

Do you have frequent mood shifts?  Are you often tired, anxious or feel like you are in a fog part of the day?  What is the cause of this funk?  Mood shifts are caused by many factors and one may be a drop in blood sugar.

Low blood sugar can also be the culprit of not only mood shifts but can contribute to anxiety attacks and minor to severe shifts in energy levels.  How does this happen and what transpires in the body?

Your metabolism is more sensitive to carbohydrates than others.  You eat a high carbohydrate meal or snack without thought to protein or fat which triggers a large spike in your insulin level and resulting large drop in blood sugars.  This drop then results in the change in mood, energy or more anxiety.

One client recently told me he had been tired his whole life.  He could fall asleep at any moment in time.  After a shift in his eating of including protein at each meal and moderating his carbohydrates his fatigue lifted and he regained the vitality he desired for years.

If you are having any of the above symptoms it might be worth re-evaluating your diet to see if there is a fix before moving on.  Here are some suggestions and options:

1.  Eat a higher protein breakfast.  If you are consuming the normal cereal or toast breakfast this is a set-up for having symptoms.  A typical bowl of cereal is like eating 3-5 slices worth of bread which will trigger the symptoms within a few hours.  Consider consuming high quality protein such as eggs, cottage cheese or some European style yogurt with nuts. 

2.  Make sure you eat moderate levels of protein at all remaining meals and snacks along with some unprocessed carbohydrate and fat.  For example, if you have an apple at snack time add some nuts or natural nut butter or a slice or two of hard cheese to balance.

3.  Don’t go more than 4 hours without food.  Going too long without food is a setup for low blood sugars, fatigue and moodiness.  Keep small bags of nuts or seeds with you at all times in case you are running late for a meal.  Consider setting a timer if you forget to eat in the afternoon.

4.  Schedule in at least 20-30 minutes of continuous activity most days of the week.  Even a 20 minute walk helps your insulin work more effectively the rest of the day and encourages stable blood sugars.

5.  Avoid processed packaged foods with sugar, high fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners which encourage fluctuations in blood sugars and resulting symptoms.

If you’ve been tired, moody or anxious for some time it can take 6-8 weeks to create a stable blood sugar and increased energy levels but commitment to the process will bring the results you desire if the problem is tied to your diet.

A disclaimer is sometimes you may feel worse before you feel better.  If your blood sugars were averaging higher within normal limits and now drop down to lower normal limits the shift can temporarily increase fatigue and moodiness. This shift will correct itself within a week.

Changing your diet creates stability in your blood sugar which creates the mood and vitality you desire.  And after all – what do you have to lose - but fatigue or a bad mood?