As most of you know I'm in the midst of another one of my 14-day cleanses. This time I've managed to eliminate coffee which is something that I have never been willing to do before. This time I wanted to attempt a true liver detox plan for two weeks. Of course, Mamma was weak and succumbed to the temptations of vino and tequila over the weekend. Therefore, I had to start over.
I must tell you the first 6 days without coffee were rough, really rough. I continue to drink caffeineated green tea all day so it obviously is not the loss of caffeine that I am feeling. It must be the actual coffee itself. I had a "heavy" headache for 2 days, but that passed and hasn't returned. My bowels were just a little off the first 3 days, but even that has normalized...BEAUTIFULLY, I might add. I think that I just LIKE coffee. I enjoy the taste of a dark roast. I enjoy the smell. I mostly drink it black. I only drink it in the morning, and drink tea as my other hot beverage.
I have been replacing the coffee with a product called Teeccino www.teeccino.com . It is a wonderful flavorful substitute for those who might be looking for a substitute.
I have another week of the detox plan, and I really dont know if I plan to return to coffee. It is certainly cheaper than the Teeccino. I'm not gonna stress about it. I hardy ever drink coffee outside my home because I'm very fussy about the brew. I do love the roasts at JJBeans in Dobbs Ferry though. So who knows, I may become an ex-coffee drinker. Shall keep you all posted.
You all might wonder why I bother with all of this. Ummm, because colon cleansing and gut health is the foundation of wellness. Most of my patients go through the cleansing plan before I start treatment. My really sick patients with extensive chronic issues go through a more rigorous liver detox. For the most part, very few escape! LOL.
Here's the good part; Everyone feels great after a cleanse. Digestion and elimination improves. Gas, heartburn and bloating disappear. Acne, eczema, and all the other itchy-scratchy problems go away. People also notice that joint pain is better. It is a great jump start to weight loss. Asthma gets better. Blah, blah, blah...thats what it sounds like if you have never experienced a cleanse.
There are no big enema bags hanging in the bathroom (unless you want there to be...we can do that too). No stinky potions to drink. No starvation. Its really not that hard to do, and its only 14 days. Not a bad deal if your life is plagued with chronic illness.
Ok so, getting back to MEEE, I've stopped most of my supplements. Taking some Liver herbs, NAC, SAMe, Fiber products, whey protein isolate, mostly sublingual vitamins: B complex, Vit D3, melatonin, and Vit C. I'll go back to my vitamin regimen after the 14 days. I normally do this anyway but for the rest of you : No dairy, no wheat, no sugar, no MSG, no margarine/PHO, only filtered water, no soy...really an alkaline based diet. Of course, sardines & olives drenched in olive oil for breakfast...and my beet salad for lunch....forever staples to me.
I had the absolute WORST B.O in the gym today. LOL. I caught a whiff of GROSS self while in a yoga pose. Hahaha. All those toxins need to be released somehow. I wish I had access to a steam/sauna to help with the elimination process. I'll have to remember that when I'm designing my next home.
Ok, my blogger friends....I wish WELLness today for you and your loved ones. Think about what you are feeding you beautiful body today, and how it makes you feel.
Nourish your bodies and soul beautifully today.
Keep the faith.
Spread the love.
Always....Tina
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Times of Trouble
As I was driving into the ER early this morning I was dreading the St Paddy Day aftermath....the young people that drank too much, the older people that drank too much, the older people that drank and forgot to take their heart and diabetic medication, the drunks who fell down and didn't get up till this morning, and all the rest. Somehow I think that this isn't what the good St Patrick had intended. Chuckle.
I am always amazed at the problems that people mindFULLY create for themselves, even when they have some grasp of the consequences. Ohhh, Humans... such a weird and complicated bunch of creatures.
Then, of course, there is the havoc and the tragedy that we don't create, like the aftermath of the earthquake/tsunami in Japan. I haven't been able to listen to the news and see images...much too painful. I always think, "What if that were happening to me and my family?" I can't imagine that level of fear and anguish.
An old colleague from residency runs an emergency dept in Hawaii. He tweeted that things were chaotic there with concerns about all the radiation leak that was moving towards the Hawaiin islands. I can only imagine!! We, here in Queens, were inundated last year when the Swine Flu epidemic went wild and people were fearful. The ER's had to set up tents in the parking lots to accomodate the numbers of people seeking help. I also remember the Fear Factor when after 9/11 everyone was guarded and white powder inside envelopes and Islam became the enemy. That kind of fear can paralyze a nation.
I believe that during these difficult times it is so important to create a calm and safe place for your body and your soul. It is important to have calm in your home. Play music. Shut the news off (how many times do you have to hear the same crap ?). Meditation and prayer are excellent ways to take a break from the choas around us and create a peaceful spot in our minds. Mindful prayer and meditation help you grasp that in THAT moment everything is ok...that the "worry" is false belief that our minds have created.
Sit in a quiet place, close your eyes at your desk, find a quiet spot during lunch or coffee break, or anytime you feel like your wheels are just spinning out of control...take some slow breaths, in and out, and allow the muscles of your body to relax. Pick a phrase or a thought to focus on..something simple like, "I just want to relax" or "Everything is good in my life at this moment". Feel the peace, feel the relaxation, know that in spite of the fact that life is sometimes unfair we can maneuver through it, and that all things, even the greatest of tragedies, passes...and that life goes on.
Wow, this was SOOO heavy.
Now the good news, it is SPRING here in NY (at least for today LOL).
Get out, stretch those hibernating muscles, feel the sun, and breath deep.
Don't forget...high dose antioxidants, especially Vitamin C, melatonin and NAC, are always good...those environmental toxins are everywhere.
Appreciate Life today.
Besos!!!
I am always amazed at the problems that people mindFULLY create for themselves, even when they have some grasp of the consequences. Ohhh, Humans... such a weird and complicated bunch of creatures.
Then, of course, there is the havoc and the tragedy that we don't create, like the aftermath of the earthquake/tsunami in Japan. I haven't been able to listen to the news and see images...much too painful. I always think, "What if that were happening to me and my family?" I can't imagine that level of fear and anguish.
An old colleague from residency runs an emergency dept in Hawaii. He tweeted that things were chaotic there with concerns about all the radiation leak that was moving towards the Hawaiin islands. I can only imagine!! We, here in Queens, were inundated last year when the Swine Flu epidemic went wild and people were fearful. The ER's had to set up tents in the parking lots to accomodate the numbers of people seeking help. I also remember the Fear Factor when after 9/11 everyone was guarded and white powder inside envelopes and Islam became the enemy. That kind of fear can paralyze a nation.
I believe that during these difficult times it is so important to create a calm and safe place for your body and your soul. It is important to have calm in your home. Play music. Shut the news off (how many times do you have to hear the same crap ?). Meditation and prayer are excellent ways to take a break from the choas around us and create a peaceful spot in our minds. Mindful prayer and meditation help you grasp that in THAT moment everything is ok...that the "worry" is false belief that our minds have created.
Sit in a quiet place, close your eyes at your desk, find a quiet spot during lunch or coffee break, or anytime you feel like your wheels are just spinning out of control...take some slow breaths, in and out, and allow the muscles of your body to relax. Pick a phrase or a thought to focus on..something simple like, "I just want to relax" or "Everything is good in my life at this moment". Feel the peace, feel the relaxation, know that in spite of the fact that life is sometimes unfair we can maneuver through it, and that all things, even the greatest of tragedies, passes...and that life goes on.
Wow, this was SOOO heavy.
Now the good news, it is SPRING here in NY (at least for today LOL).
Get out, stretch those hibernating muscles, feel the sun, and breath deep.
Don't forget...high dose antioxidants, especially Vitamin C, melatonin and NAC, are always good...those environmental toxins are everywhere.
Appreciate Life today.
Besos!!!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Medicine...Outside the Box
This past weekend I participated in the Integrative Healthcare Symposium in NYC. I don't attend many conferences in the US at all due to my busy lifestyle plus the fact that I am still uneasy about leaving my teenagers unattended to for several days. So I was ready to reinforce my professional groove with lectures and networking.
It was a great and exhausting weekend. I LOVED being surrounded by like-minded physicians who are, like myself, thinking and practicing outside the box. The goal is HEALTH. What we offer is CARE. This was a group of practitioners dedicated to the Art and Science of Wellness. We just want to see our patients get well and stay well.
There were so many wonderful speakers. Tierona Low Dog, MD, with a powerful talk on the environmental toxins that we live with and how they affect our long term health, and actually change our genetic code. VERY powerful and enlightening shit!!! It made me reassess my cellphone use, my drinking water, plastics in our home, etc. I was always conscious of this, but it is always great to be reminded and have those truths reaffirmed.
Alan Gaby MD with his new book on nutrition talking about the latest news on foods and supplements. I love listening to him speak, as I learned so much from him and his medical nutrition courses over 10 years ago. Don't know that I learned anything new, but it certainly reaffirmed my belief in Whole Food Dieting for me, my family, and my patients.
Well, I'm not going to bore you all the lectures that inspired me.
I suppose this past weekend just inspired me to keep practicing the wellness care that I offer. It reaffirmed my committment to the practice of Functional & Restorative Medicine, my commitment to affordable healthcare, my committment to teach patients that the greatest potential for healing lies within and not on a prescription pad.
Health is a process, a journey, attainable by all....in spite of whatever diagnosis label you have been given. Patients and doctors need to change the current thinking process. We all need to undo the the current habits of practice that we are so entrenched in....because in spite of all the MRIs, CT scans, and 50,000 medications on the market, we are becoming more and more unhealthy as time moves forward.
We are a pill popping society that wants immediate results. We are a glutinous society with little regard for our toxic environment. We want to do what we want, eat what we want, become less and less physically active, yet expect our bodies and minds to feel ok (and expect the doctors to fix it when we are not ok!!!).
Good News: I will be practicing at the renowned Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in NYC. I am very excited to be working alongside the FABUUUlous Frank Lipman, MD, the founder of the Center. It is a wonderful space and place of healing.
I will continue to see patients in Westchester one day a week, and of course, my web consults will continue.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone. The buds are starting to peek out. The smell of spring is in the air. Take it in.
Get headsets for those toxic cellphones that we keep glued to our bodies.
Don't microwave your plastics.
Eat organic ALWAYS.
Respect the earth, and it will respect us.
Peace and Love
Tina
It was a great and exhausting weekend. I LOVED being surrounded by like-minded physicians who are, like myself, thinking and practicing outside the box. The goal is HEALTH. What we offer is CARE. This was a group of practitioners dedicated to the Art and Science of Wellness. We just want to see our patients get well and stay well.
There were so many wonderful speakers. Tierona Low Dog, MD, with a powerful talk on the environmental toxins that we live with and how they affect our long term health, and actually change our genetic code. VERY powerful and enlightening shit!!! It made me reassess my cellphone use, my drinking water, plastics in our home, etc. I was always conscious of this, but it is always great to be reminded and have those truths reaffirmed.
Alan Gaby MD with his new book on nutrition talking about the latest news on foods and supplements. I love listening to him speak, as I learned so much from him and his medical nutrition courses over 10 years ago. Don't know that I learned anything new, but it certainly reaffirmed my belief in Whole Food Dieting for me, my family, and my patients.
Well, I'm not going to bore you all the lectures that inspired me.
I suppose this past weekend just inspired me to keep practicing the wellness care that I offer. It reaffirmed my committment to the practice of Functional & Restorative Medicine, my commitment to affordable healthcare, my committment to teach patients that the greatest potential for healing lies within and not on a prescription pad.
Health is a process, a journey, attainable by all....in spite of whatever diagnosis label you have been given. Patients and doctors need to change the current thinking process. We all need to undo the the current habits of practice that we are so entrenched in....because in spite of all the MRIs, CT scans, and 50,000 medications on the market, we are becoming more and more unhealthy as time moves forward.
We are a pill popping society that wants immediate results. We are a glutinous society with little regard for our toxic environment. We want to do what we want, eat what we want, become less and less physically active, yet expect our bodies and minds to feel ok (and expect the doctors to fix it when we are not ok!!!).
Good News: I will be practicing at the renowned Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in NYC. I am very excited to be working alongside the FABUUUlous Frank Lipman, MD, the founder of the Center. It is a wonderful space and place of healing.
I will continue to see patients in Westchester one day a week, and of course, my web consults will continue.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone. The buds are starting to peek out. The smell of spring is in the air. Take it in.
Get headsets for those toxic cellphones that we keep glued to our bodies.
Don't microwave your plastics.
Eat organic ALWAYS.
Respect the earth, and it will respect us.
Peace and Love
Tina
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
"Eat Your Broccoli"
The other night I was having dinner with a friend at my favorite local restaurant. The chef, David DiBari, was glorifying brussel sprouts this week. I had the fried sprouts with parmigiana chunks and truffle honey drizzled on top. HEAVEN. Mmmm, I can almost smell the truffle scent right now when I close my eyes. I posted the dish on facebook, and could not believe how many people DISLIKE sprouts de Bruxelles. I am in complete shock. I suppose because myself and my children couldn't make it through the winter without my oven roasted (to a crisp!!) sprouts and potatoes.
Now, you all know how much I go on and on about beets (and rightfully so for all my hypertensives), but all in all the cruciferous veggies are far superior. Those would be the broccoli, the cabbages, brussel sprouts, and watercress. Tons of studies have been done on the cancer fighting properties of the cruciferi (is that the plural??).
Well, I try to eat one serving of something from this food family daily, as should you all. But for all the HATERS out there, there are supplements that you can take: DIM and Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C).
I give this supplements to any patients that has been diagnosed with a hormone sensitive cancer such as breast, cervical, prostate...or that might have significant risk factors for those cancers. I also give it to all my patients on hormone replacement therapy.
See the attached link if you would like to read some on this great supplement. http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2006/jan2006_report_i3c_01.htm I think it is an easy read and interesting. Basically, the supplement helps you break down estrogen to the more favorable metabolite,the "good" 2-hydroxyestrone vs. the "bad" 16 alpha-hydroxyestrone.
Getting back to my little balls of fiiiYAAA, brussel sprouts are like little heads of cabbage just growing on these massive green stalks. How can you resist?
Food network on line has wonderful and easy recipes.
Just trying to spread the good word, my Blagga babies.
Great Breasts come with Great Responsibility...I'm just sayin!
Now, you all know how much I go on and on about beets (and rightfully so for all my hypertensives), but all in all the cruciferous veggies are far superior. Those would be the broccoli, the cabbages, brussel sprouts, and watercress. Tons of studies have been done on the cancer fighting properties of the cruciferi (is that the plural??).
Well, I try to eat one serving of something from this food family daily, as should you all. But for all the HATERS out there, there are supplements that you can take: DIM and Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C).
I give this supplements to any patients that has been diagnosed with a hormone sensitive cancer such as breast, cervical, prostate...or that might have significant risk factors for those cancers. I also give it to all my patients on hormone replacement therapy.
See the attached link if you would like to read some on this great supplement. http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2006/jan2006_report_i3c_01.htm I think it is an easy read and interesting. Basically, the supplement helps you break down estrogen to the more favorable metabolite,the "good" 2-hydroxyestrone vs. the "bad" 16 alpha-hydroxyestrone.
Getting back to my little balls of fiiiYAAA, brussel sprouts are like little heads of cabbage just growing on these massive green stalks. How can you resist?
Food network on line has wonderful and easy recipes.
Just trying to spread the good word, my Blagga babies.
Great Breasts come with Great Responsibility...I'm just sayin!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
D-Licious
The media spotlight has been on Vitamin D for the past several years now, and the D-iva loves it. Every month there are new studies (real ones!!) showing how beneficial this vita-MONE is as an immune booster, in prevention of colon and breast cancers, and for the maintenance of brain function. I call it a Vitamone because it is classified as a vitamin but its chemical structure is that of a hormone.
Hot, Vogue, Provocative, Mysterious....Vitamin D is the Lady Gaga of the vitamin world, and I'm her biggest fan.
Most people are Vitamin D deficient. D3 is a very inexpensive vitamin to buy. It works great during cold and flu season for prevention. Hmmm...cheap and necessary....sounds like a deal.
Most of us don’t get enough sun, especially in the winter, to make the amount of vitamin D we need. Getting extra vitamin D is a good idea, either from supplements or from vitamin D–fortified foods. For those looking to supplement to correct or prevent deficiency, a new study shows that of the two forms commonly sold, one of them will impact vitamin D status more efficiently.
The most common form of D used in food fortification is a synthetic variety called vitamin D2, or ergocalciferol. It is also the only available prescription form of vitamin D.
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is made in the body when skin is exposed to sunlight and occurs naturally in foods like eggs and fish. In order to produce vitamin D3 for supplements, some manufacturers are extracting D3 from wool fat that has been exposed to ultraviolet light.
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism published a study comparing the effects of vitamin D2 and D3 supplements on vitamin D levels in healthy adults. The participants took capsules providing 50,000 IU of either vitamin D2 or D3 once per week for 12 weeks. Blood samples were drawn every two weeks to measure changes in blood vitamin D levels, and fat biopsies were taken at the beginning and end of the trial to measure changes in tissue vitamin D levels. In addition, a final blood sample was taken six weeks after the last dose. D3 does the trick faster !!
Blood vitamin D levels rose throughout the trial in both groups, but rose more rapidly in the D3 group. By week 12, the average vitamin D level had risen nearly 50% more in the D3 group than in the D2 group. The increase in tissue vitamin D levels from the beginning to the end of the trial was roughly three times as great in the D3 group. Blood levels dropped at a similar rate in both groups after stopping the supplements, but because the D3 group had higher levels by week 12, they maintained an advantage over the D2 group at the 6-week follow up. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2011;96:online publication) These results show clearly that D3 produces a substantially larger effect than D2, as measured both by serum vitamin D status and by fat storage of the vitamin.
It is not easy to keep adequate levels of Vitamin D in your blood, but here are some tips:
• Get vitamin D3 from rich natural food sources such as fatty fish and fish oil. Fortified foods are also fine (remember that vitamin D2 raises vitamin D levels in the body, just not as quickly).
• Spend a little time in the sun. Just 15 minutes without sunscreen a few times per week will help keep your D3 production strong.
• Obtain a Vitamin D blood level yearly. Your doctor can order this for you. Aim for a blood level between 55 and 80
• Look for nutritional supplements that contain cholecalciferol or vitamin D3 or be sure to conscientiously use your D2 supplements to ensure maximum benefit.
• I sometimes need to combine the use of Vitamin D2 and D3 in order to achieve optimal levels. Please call me if you are having trouble raising your serum level or maintaining it.
• Difficult to maintain good levels during the winter months. I usually increase the dose for most patients during the gray winter months, and certainly during flu season.
Ok my bloggie babies, if you have any questions on this just shoot me an email or post here.
Be happy
Aim high
Choose health.
Love you ALL
Hot, Vogue, Provocative, Mysterious....Vitamin D is the Lady Gaga of the vitamin world, and I'm her biggest fan.
Most people are Vitamin D deficient. D3 is a very inexpensive vitamin to buy. It works great during cold and flu season for prevention. Hmmm...cheap and necessary....sounds like a deal.
Most of us don’t get enough sun, especially in the winter, to make the amount of vitamin D we need. Getting extra vitamin D is a good idea, either from supplements or from vitamin D–fortified foods. For those looking to supplement to correct or prevent deficiency, a new study shows that of the two forms commonly sold, one of them will impact vitamin D status more efficiently.
The most common form of D used in food fortification is a synthetic variety called vitamin D2, or ergocalciferol. It is also the only available prescription form of vitamin D.
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is made in the body when skin is exposed to sunlight and occurs naturally in foods like eggs and fish. In order to produce vitamin D3 for supplements, some manufacturers are extracting D3 from wool fat that has been exposed to ultraviolet light.
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism published a study comparing the effects of vitamin D2 and D3 supplements on vitamin D levels in healthy adults. The participants took capsules providing 50,000 IU of either vitamin D2 or D3 once per week for 12 weeks. Blood samples were drawn every two weeks to measure changes in blood vitamin D levels, and fat biopsies were taken at the beginning and end of the trial to measure changes in tissue vitamin D levels. In addition, a final blood sample was taken six weeks after the last dose. D3 does the trick faster !!
Blood vitamin D levels rose throughout the trial in both groups, but rose more rapidly in the D3 group. By week 12, the average vitamin D level had risen nearly 50% more in the D3 group than in the D2 group. The increase in tissue vitamin D levels from the beginning to the end of the trial was roughly three times as great in the D3 group. Blood levels dropped at a similar rate in both groups after stopping the supplements, but because the D3 group had higher levels by week 12, they maintained an advantage over the D2 group at the 6-week follow up. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2011;96:online publication) These results show clearly that D3 produces a substantially larger effect than D2, as measured both by serum vitamin D status and by fat storage of the vitamin.
It is not easy to keep adequate levels of Vitamin D in your blood, but here are some tips:
• Get vitamin D3 from rich natural food sources such as fatty fish and fish oil. Fortified foods are also fine (remember that vitamin D2 raises vitamin D levels in the body, just not as quickly).
• Spend a little time in the sun. Just 15 minutes without sunscreen a few times per week will help keep your D3 production strong.
• Obtain a Vitamin D blood level yearly. Your doctor can order this for you. Aim for a blood level between 55 and 80
• Look for nutritional supplements that contain cholecalciferol or vitamin D3 or be sure to conscientiously use your D2 supplements to ensure maximum benefit.
• I sometimes need to combine the use of Vitamin D2 and D3 in order to achieve optimal levels. Please call me if you are having trouble raising your serum level or maintaining it.
• Difficult to maintain good levels during the winter months. I usually increase the dose for most patients during the gray winter months, and certainly during flu season.
Ok my bloggie babies, if you have any questions on this just shoot me an email or post here.
Be happy
Aim high
Choose health.
Love you ALL
Monday, February 14, 2011
Up Close and PERSONAL
Good Morning my Blogsters.
Beautiful day here in NY. The sun is shining. Finished an early morning hike. I love to feel the cool fresh air in my lungs; it intoxicates my brain!!
Of course, what I never forget to do is take my daily load of vitamins/supplements. I get so many emails and everyone wants to know what it is that I personally take. I guess they want to know if I practice what I preach. As you can see by the photo of my personal pillbox....I AIN'T joking around here!!! I also have a smaller pillbox by my bedside for certain supplements/hormones that I take VERYYYY early in the morning on an empty stomach.
Before I get started, I just want to remind everyone that certain vitamins are standard but for the most part, supplements are very individual, and you cannot follow any one person's routine.
So just check with me first before you start swallowing pills that your neighbor's mother swears by.
So here it goes:
High potency Vitamin and mineral supplement.
High dose B-complex.
Extra Folate and B6
Mixed tocopherols, gamma tocopherols.
Vitamin D3 6000 IU daily.
Magnesium 600 mg daily
Selenium 200 mcg daily
Zinc 30+ mg daily
Chromium 200 mcg daily
EPA/DHA (fish oil) 2000 mg daily with food
Olive fruit extract 300mg daily
Sesame seed extract 30 mg daily.
CoQ 10 30 mg (Q-gel) daily
Proanthocyanidins (grape seed&skin extracts) 150 mg daily
Resveratrol 250mg daily
DHEA 25 mg daily
Lutein 10 mg daily
Zeaxanthin & Meso-zeaxanthin 4 mg daily
Natural Astaxanthin 6 mg
Carnosine 1000mg daily
ArginoCarn 675 mg daily
Benfotiamine 150 mg daily
R-lipoic acid 150mg daily
BioPQQ 10mg daily
Luteolin 8mg daily
Complex digestive enzymes 2 x daily: bromelain, papain, inositol, cellulase, lipase, amylase, ficin, pancrelipase, SOD & catalase, organic beet extract 200 mg, CLA 10mg
Vegetable culture w/organic methyl donor 600-900 mg daily
5-HTP 200mg at night.
Secretropin (amino acid blend) at night or Free Form Amino Acid liquid 2 x daily.
Now this is my baseline. I add and subtract supplements depending on my need. For example,If I am working out hard I add D-ribose and creatine. If I am fighting a viral illness, I add a variety of natural anti-virals and immune boosters. I increase Vitamin D3 in the winter months.
I am not going to mention any hormones here, aside from the DHEA, because those are very individual and by prescription only. But please, obtain a DHEA-S level at least yearly before taking continuous supplementation.
Stay focused. Stay true. Stay healthy...mind, body, spirit.
Oh, and... Happy Day of Love to All.....cuz love is all we need!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Was the Donut Worth it?
Today was an exhausting day. I had to tell a very sweet special patient that she now has Diabetes. She cried. I gave her some tissues, and it felt like that was all I had to give.
The truth is that I knew this was coming. I've been warning her of PRE-Diabetes since 2007. She would always confide that she had a weakness for powdered donuts and ate them all the time...since she was a young girl. "I know that they are bad for you, but I just LOVE them"
I gave it my all in trying to educate her, teach her to make some lifestyle changes that would get her off the road to Diabetes. I preached about the evil of a highly processed, high carb diet. I explained that a bagel is not a meal (and neither is a donut). Stop eating pasta everyday. I tried to get her to understand that her life was too sedentary, that she was not a farmer and that her body did not earn the amount of carb calories that she was giving it each day. I pushed fresh fruit and raw vegetables. The response is always the same, "Oh I like fruit, but it just goes bad in the fridge." "Oh but I dont really eat much...just a little piece of cake once in a while" "Oh, I can't walk on the treadmill because my knee hurts". " I never eat sugar, so I don't understand"
When she brought me chocolates for Christmas, I explained that I don't eat them but that I would share them with the staff (you know, the pre-diabetic ones). I wanted her to learn by example. I REALLY wanted her to succeed.
Today I was again reminded that health is a very individual journey. Her diabetes is HER diagnosis, not mine. I can give her the tools, the information, the books, and all the dialogue, but its her choice to take it, or to just sit and cry. So I handed her more tissues.
The reality is she will go home and be upset for a couple of days. She'll go and buy some sugar-free donuts, Diet pepsi (which she has been drinking for years), and those stupid 100 calorie snack pscks. She'll join a gym. She might even make an appointment with the nutritionist and go once or twice. But over time, the shock and the novelty of the diagnosis fades. Old habits creep right back in. And we all know how true love.....between a woman and her donuts....never dies.
Type II Diabetes is a silent disease. She feels nothing. So she is not reminded of her diabetes on a daily basis, aside from the meds she now has to take. What she doesn't realize is that all that excess sugar viciously reacts with your body's proteins causing damaging GLYCATION reactions, which fuels chronic inflammation and the production of destructive free radicals.
It is rare to find a type II Diabetic that does not also have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, arthritis, poor vision, and coronary artery disease (even if they passed their stress test). Helloooo, those are all inflammatory conditions.
I offer my diabetics lots of supplements like Irvingia, green tea, propolmannan, brown seaweed extract, cinnmamon extract, chromium, etc. The key to success though lies in the diet. You must eat LESS (<1800 cal daily), and eliminate simple processed carbs. You simply do not need them. Period. There really is not much more to say about that.
People also develop II diabetes as they get older and hormone levels decline. It is so very important to maintain youthful DHEA and TESTOSTERONE levels which help with insulin sensitivity.
Type II diabetes is preventable, yet it is predicted that the number of Americans living with diabetes will TRIPLE by 2050. THAT is the greatest tragedy of all.
So, get to the gym today. Do 30 min on the bike. Eat an 2 apples a day. Eat the tuna salad on a platter without the bread.
Commit to health. Keep your fasting sugars less than 85. Your after meal sugar level should be no higher than 40 points above that. Call me if they are not. Early intervention is the key to success.
Ok bimbaccioni...
Be healthy. Make smart choices.
Like Nike says, "Just Do It"
The truth is that I knew this was coming. I've been warning her of PRE-Diabetes since 2007. She would always confide that she had a weakness for powdered donuts and ate them all the time...since she was a young girl. "I know that they are bad for you, but I just LOVE them"
I gave it my all in trying to educate her, teach her to make some lifestyle changes that would get her off the road to Diabetes. I preached about the evil of a highly processed, high carb diet. I explained that a bagel is not a meal (and neither is a donut). Stop eating pasta everyday. I tried to get her to understand that her life was too sedentary, that she was not a farmer and that her body did not earn the amount of carb calories that she was giving it each day. I pushed fresh fruit and raw vegetables. The response is always the same, "Oh I like fruit, but it just goes bad in the fridge." "Oh but I dont really eat much...just a little piece of cake once in a while" "Oh, I can't walk on the treadmill because my knee hurts". " I never eat sugar, so I don't understand"
When she brought me chocolates for Christmas, I explained that I don't eat them but that I would share them with the staff (you know, the pre-diabetic ones). I wanted her to learn by example. I REALLY wanted her to succeed.
Today I was again reminded that health is a very individual journey. Her diabetes is HER diagnosis, not mine. I can give her the tools, the information, the books, and all the dialogue, but its her choice to take it, or to just sit and cry. So I handed her more tissues.
The reality is she will go home and be upset for a couple of days. She'll go and buy some sugar-free donuts, Diet pepsi (which she has been drinking for years), and those stupid 100 calorie snack pscks. She'll join a gym. She might even make an appointment with the nutritionist and go once or twice. But over time, the shock and the novelty of the diagnosis fades. Old habits creep right back in. And we all know how true love.....between a woman and her donuts....never dies.
Type II Diabetes is a silent disease. She feels nothing. So she is not reminded of her diabetes on a daily basis, aside from the meds she now has to take. What she doesn't realize is that all that excess sugar viciously reacts with your body's proteins causing damaging GLYCATION reactions, which fuels chronic inflammation and the production of destructive free radicals.
It is rare to find a type II Diabetic that does not also have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, arthritis, poor vision, and coronary artery disease (even if they passed their stress test). Helloooo, those are all inflammatory conditions.
I offer my diabetics lots of supplements like Irvingia, green tea, propolmannan, brown seaweed extract, cinnmamon extract, chromium, etc. The key to success though lies in the diet. You must eat LESS (<1800 cal daily), and eliminate simple processed carbs. You simply do not need them. Period. There really is not much more to say about that.
People also develop II diabetes as they get older and hormone levels decline. It is so very important to maintain youthful DHEA and TESTOSTERONE levels which help with insulin sensitivity.
Type II diabetes is preventable, yet it is predicted that the number of Americans living with diabetes will TRIPLE by 2050. THAT is the greatest tragedy of all.
So, get to the gym today. Do 30 min on the bike. Eat an 2 apples a day. Eat the tuna salad on a platter without the bread.
Commit to health. Keep your fasting sugars less than 85. Your after meal sugar level should be no higher than 40 points above that. Call me if they are not. Early intervention is the key to success.
Ok bimbaccioni...
Be healthy. Make smart choices.
Like Nike says, "Just Do It"
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