Bad for the Body, Bad for the Mind: Are You Eating this Harmful Ingredient?

One of the key markers of a highly-processed diet is trans-fatty acids, or trans fats.  These abnormal fats are a result of either deep frying or a process called hydrogenation, which is used to extend the shelf life of packaged foods.  Doughnuts, cookies, crackers, French fries, or almost any fried fast food are rich sources of this insidious killer.

Numerous studies in recent years have found that these are more of a culprit in raising the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes than the oft-maligned saturated fats.  Recently, researchers have found that trans fats have an impact on mood and behavior as well.  Spanish researchers in 2011 found a direct relationship between intake of trans fats and risk of depression.  On the flip-side, consuming monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil and avocados), or polyunsaturated fats (such as fish oil, nuts, and seeds) decreased depression risk.

Just a few months ago, researchers at the University of California San Diego found that higher trans fat intake is associated with increased aggression and irritability.  And once again, the polyunsaturated fats correlated with increased agreeableness and reduced impulsivity.  While this doesn't prove that trans fats cause increased aggression, it just adds to the mountain of evidence for avoiding this toxic ingredient.

One caveat:  trans fats are harmful in and of themselves, but they are also a marker for highly processed foods.  And one thing that American food manufacturers are good at is manipulating processed foods to follow the latest trends in nutritional awareness -- just look at the labels touting "Trans Fat Free," "Low-Carb," "Low-Sodium," etc.  Your best bet is to stick as much as possible to real, whole foods -- foods as close to their natural plant or animal source as possible.

Non-Toxic Ways to Avoid Mosquito Bites

Summer has arrived:  Backyard barbecues, swimming, hiking, cycling... and, of course, mosquitoes.  The bites of those little critters are not only annoying and itchy, but may carry harmful viruses, such as West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis virus.  Outside of the U.S., mosquitoes may carry even more dangerous diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.

Many people are concerned about the toxic effects of conventional insect repellents, which contain chemicals such as DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide).  DEET remains popular because it's so darned effective.  If you want to avoid this synthetic compound, what are natural alternatives that actually work to keep these bugs at bay?

• Natural insect repellents that have been tested to actually work on par with DEET include catnip oil (yes, the same catnip that your cat loves!), and lemon eucalyptus oil (the Centers for Disease Control actually recommend this for prevention of spread of West Nile virus).  There are commercially available sprays that contain these herbs.  By the way, skip the Avon Skin-So-Soft -- its bug-repelling reputation is greatly exaggerated.
• Think outside the spray:  physical repellents include backyard tiki torches (whether they contain citronella or just plain oil -- it's the smoke that drives mosquitoes away), and fans.  Set up an oscillating fan on your patio pointed out toward the yard -- mosquitoes will literally be blown away!

Enjoy a safe, non-toxic summer!

Put Down that Bagel Till You Read This...

Once upon a time, grains (wheat, rice, millet, etc.) were the darlings of nutrition:  plant-based, full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.  They formed the base of the old food pyramid, with recommendations to eat 6-11 servings per day.  But like a plot twist in a Christopher Nolan movie, grains have become vilified over the last 10 or 15 years:  empty calories, the real reason Americans are getting fatter.  From the Atkins Diet to the South Beach Diet, and now the Paleo Diet, "carbs" are now the whipping boy of popular nutrition.  Is this reputation justified?

First of all, what do these diets mean when they say "carbs"?  Short for carbohydrates, they're referring to the highly processed and refined grain products such as white bread, bagels, most breakfast cereals, pasta, and white rice.  Of course, as any student in my beginning nutrition class could tell you, carbohydrates are also in healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans.  So first and foremost, we need to distinguish the type of carb we're talking about, before we label it with that four-letter word.  Yes, those highly refined grain products are low in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and contribute to difficulties in blood sugar regulation that can lead to increased hunger, weight gain, and eventually even insulin resistance or diabetes.

The trend over the last decade has been to throw the baby out with the bathwater, though.  Whole grains (100% whole wheat, brown rice, millet, and quinoa, to name a few) are nutritional powerhouses, and make sense as part of a balanced diet that includes lots of vegetables, moderate amounts of fruit, as well as nuts, seeds, beans, and moderate amounts of meat or eggs.

A 2005 study published in JAMA compared several different types of diet with wildly different proportions of protein, fats, and carbohydrates.  The results?  As long as folks adhered to it, they all lost weight and improved their cholesterol levels.

I've seen a lot of fad diets over the last couple of decades.  My personal hypothesis is that they all work to some extent for two simple reasons:

1. They provide a structure for including more healthy foods in the diet, especially vegetables, while cutting down on portion sizes and total calories.
2. They almost all start off by cutting out the refined grain products (bad carbs).  Some go on to restrict all grains (Atkins, Paleo, etc.), but either way, this eliminates most of the junk food from the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.).

Uh-oh, there it is.  Get rid of the cookies and muffins, and eat more veggies.  Sounds like what Grandma told you, doesn't it?  It's not mysterious or complicated.  Frankly, that's what drives the sales of diet and nutrition books:  the promise that the author has some secret to health and weight loss, but you must follow their plan to the letter (no matter how bizarre).

So eat your grains -- as long as they're whole grains.  And eat other healthy foods, too.  Then you can write your own book about how easy it is!  For more inspiration, check out these common-sense resources:

• Eating Rules
• Michael Pollan

If You're Not Getting Enough of This, You're Just Inviting Chronic Disease

If you're a reader of my articles, you might think the "This" I'm referring to is my favorite supplement -- exercise.  While that's true, this time, let's focus on that other foundation of health:  sleep.

A recent study added to the evidence that inadequate or disrupted sleep induces metabolic changes in the body that can lead to diabetes and weight gain.  These changes occurred with sleep at about five and a half hours per night.  Shift work aggravates the problem, with the disruption in circadian rhythm (our body's daily biological clock) making sleep even more difficult.

As the weather gets hot, falling asleep might get harder -- but there are ways to deal with that.  A lack of optimal amount of sleep can lead not only to obesity and diabetes, but also may aggravate high blood pressure, and even raise the risk of certain types of cancer.  Not to mention the fact that this is probably the most common cause of fatigue -- and the first thing to address before we go reaching for "energy drinks," supplements, etc.

How much sleep should we get?  Between 7 and 9 hours per night is what most research indicates.  If you think you're too busy to get that amount, reassess your activities during the day:  If you're staying up to have time to watch TV or surf the web, reconsider your priorities in light of the very real negative health effects.


Lack of sleep linked to disease

Gluten Free: Rethinking Snacktime

Gluten-free eating has gained popularity recently.  It's not for everyone; however, there are specific health conditions that benefit from avoiding gluten.  Gluten is actually a baking term for the group of proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye; the main protein is called gliadin.  Some folks have a genetic intolerance to gluten/gliadin called celiac disease -- if they consume gluten-containing grains, it causes inflammation in the intestinal tract that can produce constipation or diarrhea, as well as gas, indigestion, and bloating.  More importantly, it can also lead to malabsorption of nutrients, and actually raise the risk of chronic disease development.

Other people do not have celiac disease, but have gluten intolerance -- they have discovered by experience that they feel better and healthier when avoiding gluten.  This may show up as a positive reaction on an IgG food sensitivity lab test (which we offer at CINHC), or could just be discovered by doing a trial of gluten avoidance for a few weeks.

If you have ever tried going gluten-free (GF), out of necessity or curiosity, you quickly discover just how challenging it can be:  wheat is in nearly every packaged or processed food, and most foods available at restaurants.  The key to success with a GF diet is advanced planning, especially to avoid the trap of relying on the explosion of GF junk foods that have become available recently.  Food writer Amie Valpone has great ideas on healthy GF snacking:

Clean and Easy Gluten-Free Snacks

The "Diet Soda Paradox"

Diet soft drinks.  Americans have a love/hate relationship with them, but one thing is certain:  Americans drink a lot of diet soda.  Mostly, this is an effort to either lose weight or protect against weight gain.  Several studies have been published in the last couple of years showing that drinking diet soft drinks does not accomplish these goals at all.  The mechanism of this paradox has been murky; shouldn't a zero-calorie drink lead to weight loss?  One hypothesis has been that the artificial sweetener fools the brain into expecting sugar (which the brain needs to function); when the sugar doesn't arrive, the brain increases hunger signals in an attempt to find the "missing" fuel.

New research in the April edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicates that the results may have more to do with what is habitually eaten along with the diet soda.  In other words, people with relatively healthy diets tend to drink less soda overall, while those who eat the Standard American Diet (S.A.D. -- high in salty, fatty, processed foods) consume more soda, including diet soda.  Moreover, there is a "permissiveness" effect from drinking diet soda:  psychologically, reaching for a diet soda instead of a sugary drink justifies a big serving of chips or fries along with it.

While the experts split hairs about whether or not diet soda is a bad thing, I say kick the habit now (after all, you wouldn't want to increase your risk of stroke, would you?).  Consider the alternatives:

• Get a reusable water bottle, and make pure water your go-to drink.  Add a squirt of real lemon or lime juice for a little flavor, if you miss it.  No need to replace one highly processed food (diet soda) with another ("designer" waters).
• Green tea:  go beyond the Lipton -- there are many different varieties, with flavors that should appeal to everyone.  And how about a 20-30% lower risk of cardiovascular disease as a bonus?

No Time for Exercise? Think Again

Patients and regular readers know that my favorite supplement is exercise -- the list of benefits keeps growing all the time.  A common complaint I hear is that it's hard to find the time to work out.  Yes, we all have those busy days.  That's why I often recommend burst training (such as the Sprint-8 plan) as a very time-efficient form of exercise -- a great workout in 20 minutes, 2-3 times per week.

When it comes to therapeutic exercise for postural rehab or back or neck pain, I recommend the idea of "micro-breaks" at work:  taking 15-30 seconds at regular intervals throughout the day for a bit of stretching to counteract the physical stressors we put on our bodies.  Here's a fabulous web site that takes it a step further (besides, "micro" is so 20th century):

Nano Workout