Three weeks into the new year, are you on track with any resolutions? One of the more common resolutions is to lose weight. For various reasons, this is a great time to lose weight. Maybe you gained a few too many pounds over Thanksgiving or Christmas. Maybe you have a wedding or reunion coming up this summer and want to WOW everyone. Or maybe you want to look and feel better, or have health concerns about carrying extra pounds.
All are great reasons to lose weight. So, how are you doing?
Many people do great at the start. Watching portions, counting calories, exercising more and getting results. Usually 3-5 pounds the first week, 2-3 the second week, 1-2 pounds the third week. Then it hits. No more weight loss! You may have even gained a few pounds back. How did this happen?
If you get to a plateau, don't worry. This is very normal. As you read further, you will understand why this happened and how to move on.
Plateaus occur during weight loss because your body has become more efficient and you are carrying around a lot less weight. Less weight equals less work for the body. This is, after all the goal of weight loss, to let your body work less. Unfortunately, when you weigh less and work less, you burn fewer calories. Unless you further reduce calorie intake, you will stop losing weight and can put some back on. The other alternative is to increase calorie burning.
After losing 10 pounds, your body burns less calories throughout the day. By adding the weight back on, with a weighted vest or some other way, your body will continue to burn calories like it did 10 pounds ago. To further complicate this, regular exercise induces a training effect. Your body becomes much more efficient at movement. More efficiency equals less work. Less work means fewer calories burned. To combat the training effect, vary your exercise. Intensity, quantity or type of activity must be changed once in a while to reset your body. Doing the same exercise and diet will lead to failure. Not to mention getting very boring very quickly.
So, here is your weight loss tip for the week. Add the pounds you lost back on through external weight. Change your work-out routine intensity or type of exercise. Vary your foods. Much like the training effect of exercise, eating the same can cause your body to ignore the diet and go into a maintain mode. Changing foods will keep your body on a weight loss path.
If you have questions or need help, don't be afraid to ask. I am here to help you. And if I can't help you, I'll find someone who can.
For more information on weight loss, click on the BlogTalkRadio link to the left on Weight Loss. It is a 30 minute presentation on weight loss. Look for Part 2 to be coming in a week or so, as 30 minutes was not enough to cover all the topics of weight loss.
Feel free to e-mail me or call me at the office (920) 730-0611 if you need help losing weight. As always, please leave a comment below.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The Nightmare Begins-No Cure for Health Care
It is truly amazing that 60 U.S. Senators could support a 2000+ page bill that the vast majority of the population does not want, and haven't even read. Pressure from their leaders and "Pay Backs" should not be the sole reason for passing any legislation.
Hopefully, when this bill goes to conference it will be killed or at least stalled until the November elections. The constitutionality of this bill will/should be tested and hopefully stricken down.
Why is this such a bad bill? As I posted previously, this Health Care Reform Bill does nothing to promote health, reduce costs or improve our system in any way.
The tax and "Mandatory" purchase of insurance will drive the economy even further into recession. Health care will become more expensive and harder to get. Demand will rise (30,000,000+ new consumers) and supply will decrease (up to 30% of current doctors will quit practice or retire early). We are currently in a primary care shortage. Adding 30 million new consumers alone will overrun the system. Over worked Primary Care Providers (PCP's) will be worked even harder to meet the demand. I don't know about you, but when it comes to my health care, I want a doctor that is fresh, well rested, happy and well paid!
Since there will most likely be a public option in this reform, expect insurance companies to go out of business, as they cannot compete against the government. Public plans will most likely be based on a Medicare model which means a drastic cut in doctor and hospital income. Working 60-80 hours per week for a wage less than most factory workers, with potential malpractice liability and student loans pushing $200,000; why would anyone do this?
If doctors can opt out of the program, i.e. not accept insurance and treat patients on a strictly cash basis, many of the top physicians will probably do this. But now you have a situation in which only the "rich" can afford quality care, leaving the poor and middle class depending on the over-worked, under-paid insurance doctors for care.
So, once again, in the infinite wisdom of our federal government, trying to help the poor and uninsured, we may in fact be making the problem worse and increasing costs at the same time.
If you have any questions or comments, please leave below or send me an e-mail directly newcaredoc@aol.com
Hopefully, when this bill goes to conference it will be killed or at least stalled until the November elections. The constitutionality of this bill will/should be tested and hopefully stricken down.
Why is this such a bad bill? As I posted previously, this Health Care Reform Bill does nothing to promote health, reduce costs or improve our system in any way.
The tax and "Mandatory" purchase of insurance will drive the economy even further into recession. Health care will become more expensive and harder to get. Demand will rise (30,000,000+ new consumers) and supply will decrease (up to 30% of current doctors will quit practice or retire early). We are currently in a primary care shortage. Adding 30 million new consumers alone will overrun the system. Over worked Primary Care Providers (PCP's) will be worked even harder to meet the demand. I don't know about you, but when it comes to my health care, I want a doctor that is fresh, well rested, happy and well paid!
Since there will most likely be a public option in this reform, expect insurance companies to go out of business, as they cannot compete against the government. Public plans will most likely be based on a Medicare model which means a drastic cut in doctor and hospital income. Working 60-80 hours per week for a wage less than most factory workers, with potential malpractice liability and student loans pushing $200,000; why would anyone do this?
If doctors can opt out of the program, i.e. not accept insurance and treat patients on a strictly cash basis, many of the top physicians will probably do this. But now you have a situation in which only the "rich" can afford quality care, leaving the poor and middle class depending on the over-worked, under-paid insurance doctors for care.
So, once again, in the infinite wisdom of our federal government, trying to help the poor and uninsured, we may in fact be making the problem worse and increasing costs at the same time.
If you have any questions or comments, please leave below or send me an e-mail directly newcaredoc@aol.com
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Mammograms-New Guidelines
A Federal Government Health Panel recently announced new guidelines for routine mammograms for women between age 40 and 50. The panel now no longer recommends annual screening for women in this age group, as research has not shown any benefit.
This announcement has come under fire by several groups including The American Cancer Society, radiologists, breast surgeons and oncologists (all profit from cancer detection and treatment). They claim routine mammograms save lives and we are "throwing women 40-50 under the bus."
Some pundits have even linked this announcement to the health care debate, here comes the rationing of care. While I am not a supporter of any national health care system, the link is coincidental.
I applaud the panels recommendation! It took a lot of guts to come out against conventional wisdom and finally base a recommendation on actual science. I have been telling my female patients for years in this age group to skip the mammograms until menopause.
Why would I do that?
Because research over the last 5-10 years is showing not only are mammograms for this age group ineffective for detecting cancer, it actually causes cancer in this age group! The National Cancer Institute reported that in younger women, mammograms cause 75 cancers for every 15 detected. Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) has risen 328% since mammogram screening began, and 200% is directly linked to the radiation exposure of the mammogram.
A 1992 Canadian National Breast Cancer Study showed mammograms had no positive effect on mortality for women age 40-50. In fact the study suggested women in this age group were more likely to die of breast cancer when screened regularly.
A 2008 study published in the AMA's Archives of Internal Medicine showed marked increases in cancer rates since the onset of regular screening. But even more astounding is they found many of the cancers detected by mammograms spontaneously regressed!
Mammograms done on pre-menopausal women have a very high incidence of false positive tests, which leads to unnecessary treatment, and stress. There is also a very high incidence of false negative results, meaning many cancers go undetected. For every cancer detected, 4 are missed.
This is a very emotional topic, and tempers can flare when discussing this issue. You will hear of women in their 40's that had their cancer detected by mammograms and claim their life was saved. But when you look at the statistics, yes she was saved, but four other women now have cancer because of the mammogram, three others had false negative tests and 70 women were told they have cancer when they didn't.
The women who survives, should be thankful, and at the same time keep the other 77 women whose lives were adversely affected by mammograms in their prayers.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Chronic Illness Running Rampant!
With the main focus in the news lately on infectious disease, H1N1, seasonal flu, pneumonia....And of course Breast Cancer all last month, (and the national health care debate) one truly serious health issue keeps getting pushed aside. Chronic Illness!
Chronic Degenerative Illness including diabetes, obesity, arthritis, fibromyalgia, Celiac, Chron's, thyroid dysfunction, lupus, RA, Alzheimers, etc...... is the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer. And virtually all of these diseases are preventable.
In the next ten years, one in three will be diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, two of three will be obese....before age 20! We are slowly killing our children.
All of these chronic illnesses have one thing in common--Inflammation.
Inflammation that can lead to advanced aging, degeneration, allergies, pain, heart disease, cancer and death.
Causes of inflammation include; acute illness, injuries, vaccines, diet and stress. The simplest way to reduce and eliminate inflammation is with diet changes. The SAD (Standard American Diet) is the biggest culprit in the rapid decline in our health. High in sugar (simple carbs), Omega 6 fats (vegetable oils), low in fiber and essential nutrients. Sugars (sucrose, fructose, HFCS) inhibit immune response, over tax insulin production and cause inflammation. The ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 oils should be 1:1 or 1:2. The SAD ratio is 1:20! This unbalanced ratio of fat types increases inflammation.
The inflammation over time degrades the digestive tract as well. This leads to leaky gut and eventually allergies and of course more inflammation. Nasty Cycle!
To reduce inflammation follow these steps:
1)Start Moving! Simple exercise on a regular basis reduces inflammation
2)cut out-ELIMINATE- sugars, grains and starches from your diet (corn is a grain)
3)eat more fish 3-4 times per week and take a quality Omega 3 supplement
4)eat more fresh vegetables (a pound per day)
5)eat 5 colors of fruits and vegetables per day (cup of blueberries per day is a great start)
6)get adjusted! Adding motion to the spinal joints reduces pain and inflammation
7)reduce stress-meditate
If you suffer from chronic illness or have family members suffering, get checked by someone familiar with Functional Medicine. Many chronic illnesses can be detected years before symptoms appear. But you have to know where to look.
Any questions, give me a call. And as always, please leave a comment.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Top Athletes Embrace Chiropractic
High Level Athletes
of All Ages
Embrace Chiropractic Care
Four time Olympic silver medalist doctor Terry Schroeder has just returned from the Water Polo World Championships in Rome, Italy. Their fourth place finish was the best finish by the USA Water Polo Team ever in the World championships and they have proven that their silver medal run in Beijing was no fluke. With Dr. Schroeder as their coach and the entire team under chiropractic care they are on target for a gold medal in 2012. High level athletes in nearly every sport have chosen to make chiropractic care a part of their training and a part of their lifestyle.
Dr. Jeff Spencer was the team chiropractor for the USA Cycling Team that won 7 Tour de France victories. Dr. Greg Kempf from Cleveland, Ohio has been providing chiropractic care for the Cleveland Browns since 1999 and the Cavaliers for the past five seasons. On game day it is not uncommon for Dr. Kempf to adjust 35 of the 55 members of the team prior to the game including their highest profile players.
The trend toward chiropractic care caught on widely at the Olympics. Athletes are more and more aware of the edge others were receiving and they flock to the care so as not to lose out on any natural advantage. Today a chiropractor is in charge of the medical unit.
The trickle down to youth sports programs is very exciting as more and more high level athletes of all ages are embracing chiropractic care. Ambush Elite Youth Soccer Team, a Georgia affiliate of West Ham United of the English Premier League whose under 17 soccer team
is currently ranked 8th in the nation, receives chiropractic care before every game. At one time they were ranked second. Their coach, David Eristavi, one of the premier your soccer coaches in the country, believes that all young athletes should have chiropractic care as a part of their training.
Youth sports programs around the country are making chiropractic care available to all of their athletes. It’s not just the guys, it’s the women as well. Kerry Walsh, the two time Olympic gold medalist in volleyball, told me in a recent interview for The 100 Year Lifestyle Workout book that the balance of these three elements of the ESS, Endurance, Strength and Structure, are an important factor in her training and her success. Her workouts on the court are cardiovascular and build her endurance. Off the court she does Pilates, plyometrics, and strength-training that gives her the added punch she needs for an overhead spike. She also takes care of her structure through chiropractic care and other holistic techniques to balance her spine and keep her muscles strong and flexible. Kerri considers the structural element of her fitness routine to be an important factor that separates her from the pack.
Jerry Rice, the spokesperson for the Foundation of Chiropractic Progress Campaign, “I did a lot of things to stay in the game but regular visits to my chiropractor were among the most important.”
If you are an athlete who wants the competitive edge, or who is injured and wants to recover quickly, chiropractic care can give you the edge you are seeking.
*From Dr. Eric Plasker, D.C.*
of All Ages
Embrace Chiropractic Care
Four time Olympic silver medalist doctor Terry Schroeder has just returned from the Water Polo World Championships in Rome, Italy. Their fourth place finish was the best finish by the USA Water Polo Team ever in the World championships and they have proven that their silver medal run in Beijing was no fluke. With Dr. Schroeder as their coach and the entire team under chiropractic care they are on target for a gold medal in 2012. High level athletes in nearly every sport have chosen to make chiropractic care a part of their training and a part of their lifestyle.
Dr. Jeff Spencer was the team chiropractor for the USA Cycling Team that won 7 Tour de France victories. Dr. Greg Kempf from Cleveland, Ohio has been providing chiropractic care for the Cleveland Browns since 1999 and the Cavaliers for the past five seasons. On game day it is not uncommon for Dr. Kempf to adjust 35 of the 55 members of the team prior to the game including their highest profile players.
The trend toward chiropractic care caught on widely at the Olympics. Athletes are more and more aware of the edge others were receiving and they flock to the care so as not to lose out on any natural advantage. Today a chiropractor is in charge of the medical unit.
The trickle down to youth sports programs is very exciting as more and more high level athletes of all ages are embracing chiropractic care. Ambush Elite Youth Soccer Team, a Georgia affiliate of West Ham United of the English Premier League whose under 17 soccer team
is currently ranked 8th in the nation, receives chiropractic care before every game. At one time they were ranked second. Their coach, David Eristavi, one of the premier your soccer coaches in the country, believes that all young athletes should have chiropractic care as a part of their training.
Youth sports programs around the country are making chiropractic care available to all of their athletes. It’s not just the guys, it’s the women as well. Kerry Walsh, the two time Olympic gold medalist in volleyball, told me in a recent interview for The 100 Year Lifestyle Workout book that the balance of these three elements of the ESS, Endurance, Strength and Structure, are an important factor in her training and her success. Her workouts on the court are cardiovascular and build her endurance. Off the court she does Pilates, plyometrics, and strength-training that gives her the added punch she needs for an overhead spike. She also takes care of her structure through chiropractic care and other holistic techniques to balance her spine and keep her muscles strong and flexible. Kerri considers the structural element of her fitness routine to be an important factor that separates her from the pack.
Jerry Rice, the spokesperson for the Foundation of Chiropractic Progress Campaign, “I did a lot of things to stay in the game but regular visits to my chiropractor were among the most important.”
If you are an athlete who wants the competitive edge, or who is injured and wants to recover quickly, chiropractic care can give you the edge you are seeking.
*From Dr. Eric Plasker, D.C.*
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Slippery Slope
The long arm of government intrusion in our lives, especially health care, keeps getting longer. In New York, health care workers are REQUIRED to get the flu shot or lose their jobs. They have no choice, rights stripped away! Health officials now have authority to quarantine and force vaccination in case of an outbreak. There are no specific definitions of an "outbreak."
But what really bothers me is the recent conviction of a couple in the Wausau area for reckless homicide of their 11 year old daughter. The girl had undiagnosed diabetes and the parents chose to treat her with prayer. The girl died and the parents were prosecuted for neglecting their child.
Reports state the illness is very treatable, thus the dilemma.
While I do not agree the parents made the right choice in type of treatment, but who am I to dictate what treatment these parents must choose. Or anyone else (especially the government) for that matter. It is unfortunate that the child died, but should the parents have been prosecuted?
I say no. And here is why:
The parents in this case did not ignore their child. They chose to actively treat her with prayer. The treatment failed. Had these parents gone the conventional path and treated her with medicine, and the child had a reaction and died, would they be prosecuted as well? Of course not. But why the double standard? If a medical treatment causes a death, the provider can be sued for malpractice, but no one would charge the parent with reckless behavior.
The underlying problem is medical treatment is being sanctioned as the only treatment acceptable for illness. If you don't get treated medically, and death occurs, you will be prosecuted for not using "State Approved" care. (Minnesota boy with leukemia being forced to undergo chemotherapy)
While the death of this child is tragic, the loss of personal freedom to choose the type of health care best for you is more tragic. These parents chose poorly, but not criminally. What is criminal is forced vaccination, giving mercury laced flu shots to pregnant mothers, and preventing truthful information on natural and alternative treatments to be given to the public.
A one year old recently died following a flu shot. The child had seizures after getting the 6 month vaccines, and died after getting the flu shot. Are these parents going to be convicted of reckless homicide for killing their child? They knew the child had a poor reaction to vaccines in the past, yet their child was injected again (against their wishes) and died. Since it was a medical procedure that failed, it is just a tragedy. Besides, the official report will claim it was just a coincidence anyway.
Don't give up your rights! Support freedom of choice in health care. Remember, the number one cause of preventable death in the U.S. is not cancer or heart disease, it is medicine (errors, prescription drug interactions, surgery...). Medicine kills over 250,000 people every year!
But what really bothers me is the recent conviction of a couple in the Wausau area for reckless homicide of their 11 year old daughter. The girl had undiagnosed diabetes and the parents chose to treat her with prayer. The girl died and the parents were prosecuted for neglecting their child.
Reports state the illness is very treatable, thus the dilemma.
While I do not agree the parents made the right choice in type of treatment, but who am I to dictate what treatment these parents must choose. Or anyone else (especially the government) for that matter. It is unfortunate that the child died, but should the parents have been prosecuted?
I say no. And here is why:
The parents in this case did not ignore their child. They chose to actively treat her with prayer. The treatment failed. Had these parents gone the conventional path and treated her with medicine, and the child had a reaction and died, would they be prosecuted as well? Of course not. But why the double standard? If a medical treatment causes a death, the provider can be sued for malpractice, but no one would charge the parent with reckless behavior.
The underlying problem is medical treatment is being sanctioned as the only treatment acceptable for illness. If you don't get treated medically, and death occurs, you will be prosecuted for not using "State Approved" care. (Minnesota boy with leukemia being forced to undergo chemotherapy)
While the death of this child is tragic, the loss of personal freedom to choose the type of health care best for you is more tragic. These parents chose poorly, but not criminally. What is criminal is forced vaccination, giving mercury laced flu shots to pregnant mothers, and preventing truthful information on natural and alternative treatments to be given to the public.
A one year old recently died following a flu shot. The child had seizures after getting the 6 month vaccines, and died after getting the flu shot. Are these parents going to be convicted of reckless homicide for killing their child? They knew the child had a poor reaction to vaccines in the past, yet their child was injected again (against their wishes) and died. Since it was a medical procedure that failed, it is just a tragedy. Besides, the official report will claim it was just a coincidence anyway.
Don't give up your rights! Support freedom of choice in health care. Remember, the number one cause of preventable death in the U.S. is not cancer or heart disease, it is medicine (errors, prescription drug interactions, surgery...). Medicine kills over 250,000 people every year!
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