The Disconnect

Something I see on a daily basis that still confounds me is the radical disconnect between health and the things we do (or don't do) every day. It still amazes me that the vast majority of those in conventional health care don't understand that what their patients eat and drink makes a difference in health trajectories and disease outcomes.

One of the most startling examples is in the field of oncology. There is a scan that is performed using radioactive sugar injected into the bloodstream so that areas of high metabolic activity "light up" on the screen. The reason these areas show up is because highly metabolic tissues suck up sugar at a much more rapid rate than surrounding cells and tissues in order to keep up their activity or growth. This is one way to find tumors which are rapidly growing self-cells that have lost their brakes. Sugar can therefore be clearly seen as cancer's favorite food, right? So why then do so many of my cancer patients come to me with instructions from their oncologists to "have milkshakes and any high calorie foods to be sure to keep weight on"? It boggles, really. Let's throw gasoline on the flame and then sit back scratching our heads as to why the cancer cells happily step up production!

Another brain bender is the recommendation for diabetics to eat a high-carb, low-fat diet. The pancreas is already stressed out and can't keep up production of insulin to deal with the carbohydrate that is already coming in! And yet, the idea is to reduce caloric intake rather than look at what those calories actually represent to the system as a whole. To control blood sugar, one needs dietary fats and proteins and fiber and minerals and vitamins and enzymes and MOVEMENT... It's basic biochemistry.

As consumers without degrees in biochem, we are bombarded at the grocery store checkout with magazine covers that exhort us to lose those pesky 15 pounds plastered over the top of a background picture of a 4 layer death-by-chocolate cake. We are told by food product manufacturers that we can have their "non-fat, sugar-free, low-carb, no cholesterol" food product and it will be just as good as the real thing. But our bodies know the difference even if the marketing agents can fool our brains. Bodies don't understand artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, artificial fats, gums, and fake proteins. Our bodies understand real food. The fake stuff has far more health consequences than the real stuff. Don't kid yourself into believing that we are smart enough to fool Mother Nature quite yet...

Food As Fuel

The concept of food merely as fuel is something that is foreign to me personally, but it is a common predicament for some of my clients. As a self-proclaimed foodie, I find it sad that someone gets to the point where they feel that eating is a nuisance activity that takes time away from the important things in life. I confess that I find myself believing that these folks just haven't had really good food before, or there must be some emotional trauma leftover from an early age around food and eating that has caused this aversion to the pleasures of savoring a good meal. Sometimes on closer examination it turns out that there is fear of doing something "wrong" when it comes to cooking. Sometimes there is an overwhelming sense of time urgency and stress that short circuits meal time and creates instead a series of grab-and-go snack times.

I think one of the great disservices we have created by way of the convenience driven food industry is the sacrifice of flavor for speed. Then, they to try to fix the mess that got created called a "food product", by adding all manner of flavorings, artificial sweeteners, gums and colorings to try to make up for this poor substitute for real food. Childhoods are spent training tastebuds to stop wishing for real food and forcing them to settle for "fake-tasting-just-add-water-and-wait-for-the-microwave-ding" food products. It's no wonder that the adult palate has given up and gone sour on food in general.

I spend time in my sessions with clients gently poking and prodding and encouraging them to try new things, new combinations, new flavors, and certainly real foods. There just is no substitute for a real vine ripened tomato, or butter from happy pastured cows, or if you're lucky enough to live in California, fresh sun-warmed Meyer lemons from the back yard. As a foodie, I can conjure in my mind the smell of that lemon, the smoothness of the rind, the tanginess of the juice and my mouth automatically starts to water. It doesn't have to be some crazy fancy french restaurant meal to get my eyes to glaze over with delight -- hand me a handful of fresh rosemary or a bunch of riotously colored rainbow chard. This is real food. The real cellular foundational food of human life. These are the ingredients you want to build yourself out of everyday, not the chemical laden, sauced-up cardboard cut-outs that pass for "food" in most grocery stores and fast food establishments.

If you want to reawaken your senses and enjoy one of the simple pleasures of being human, shop the perimeter of your grocery store. That's where all the real food is: the produce, meats, dairy, eggs and often the bulk sections. Make a mad dash down an aisle or two for the toilet paper and maybe the olives and tea. Challenge yourself to start simple. Explore your taste horizons and push your limits just a little. Get fresh. Get smart. Get REAL.

Some Go Against the Grain

Gluten is in the news a lot lately -- and for this I am grateful! It may mean that gluten intolerance and celiac disease (gluten allergy) will be more at the forefront of thinking in our medical community. As a nutritionist I see quite a few clients each year who come to me with "mystery symptoms" that have been unsuccessfully treated with antacids and stress reduction. Part of the difficulty is that the symptoms of a sensitivity to gluten can be really varied, even within the same person depending on what else is eaten at the same time.

Symptoms of gluten intolerance can include:

• Unintentional weight loss or gain
• Bloating
• Abdominal pain
• Intestinal gas
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Fatty stool
• Aching joints
• Depression or anxiety
• Eczema and other skin issues
• Head aches
• Chronic rhinitis (runny nose) or sinus infections
• Exhaustion and fatigue
• Irritability or behavioral changes
• Infertility, irregular menstrual cycle or miscarriage
• Muscle cramps
• Tingling and/or numbness in the extremities
• Slow infant and child growth
• Poor dental health

Other problems can arise over time as nutritional deficiencies develop due to malabsorbtion (i.e. low iron levels and low levels of vitamin D). Of course, these deficiencies can then exacerbate the above symptoms or create whole new sets.

If you think you or a child in your life may be sensitive to gluten, there is an easy way to do a "real world" test. It's a tried and true method of home detective work. Try going without any gluten for 2 weeks. None. Nada. You have to be careful and read all labels to be sure. Keep in mind that it is hidden in lots of things like soy sauce and food additives. If your symptoms improve, you are likely sensitive. If you want to put it to the test, on the last day of your 2 weeks off, start the day with french toast, followed by a grilled cheese sandwich and a pasta dinner. If the symptoms return with a vengence then you can be pretty sure you need to avoid gluten. CAUTION: if you are actually celiac (truely allergic) DO NOT do the rechallenge portion of the experiment. True celiac disease is progressive and the more gluten/wheat you consume, the worse the disease gets.

Lab testing for gluten sensitivity is fairly ineffective when limited to blood work. Since the reactions are primarily in the gut, the best testing to do is stool testing. If you want info on how to get these tests done, please contact me.

More on gluten and gluten-free living in posts to come!

"If 1 is Good, then 2 must be Great!"

With finances at the forefront of many American’s minds, we have begun reaching more often for alternatives to expensive standard healthcare options. Recent reports show that rather than running to the doctor with aches, pains and colds, people are using botanical medicines and nutritional supplements as a first line of defense. This is often a very good option, however, it is important to understand that just because something is “natural” doesn’t mean it is safe to take more than the recommended dose.

I can’t tell you how many times clients tell me “this tincture/supplement works so well I thought I’d take twice as much so I’d feel better even faster.” This is NOT how botanicals or nutritional supplements work. Just like pharmaceutical medicines, herbal medicines and supplements can be dangerous is high doses. Keep in mind that nearly all our pharmaceutical agents were originally derived from the plant kingdom. Simple examples are aspirin which was originally derived from white willow bark, and the heart medication digoxin which comes from the flower foxglove (aka digitalis).

Please follow the directions on the container if you are treating yourself, and absolutely follow the directions of your practitioner if you are working with a trained professional. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider what you are taking including all medications and supplements because some of them can interfere with each other in detrimental ways. When in doubt, work with a trained professional to help you make healthy choices for you and your loved ones. Don't play doctor just because you can purchase something over the counter at your health food store.

I'm laying this on thick because I care. Really.