Monthly Archives: January 2012

Ulcerative Colitis On The Rise

by Mirahealth, stress, ulcerative colitis

My brain is reeling. The following headline made me shudder. “The Ulcerative Colitis Drug Market Will Increase from $1.7 Billion in 2010 to $3 Billion in 2020 as New Agents Will Offer Additional Lines of Therapy for Moderate to Severe Disease.” This is only the latest of an increasing number of articles that have come through on my news feed recently.

Sidestepping slightly I will share that I have a personal, vested interest in articles like this. You see I was diagnosed with UC almost seven years ago. This was after over 12 years of misdiagnosis with IBS. Before I learned what was wrong with my digestive system I struggled with some of the less pleasant aspects of UC. And frequently wondered what was wrong. Fortunately for me I found answers, especially answers that worked for me, for my bio-individual body. I also discovered that I'm one of the lucky ones. I have a mild case. Mild enough that aside from an occasional flare-up I am able to control my UC through diet. I have friends who have had to undergo surgery to have large sections of their colon removed.

Because I don't take medication on a daily basis it's easy to get cocky sometimes when things are going well. And the holidays are especially tough with all of the temptations that surround you. But when I stray from my nutritional plan and routine I know it; my body makes it very clear that I've not been paying attention. Stress is also a huge trigger and I work hard at living a more mindful life, focusing on what's important to me and how I handle stress. I like to think that over time I've gotten better at it but it is an ongoing process.

So why does that headline above bother me so much (and why am I sharing all of this personal information)? It bothers me because if you read the article that accompanies it you'll see that it almost crows about the growth in the market and the need for pharmaceuticals. Don't get me wrong I am certainly not advocating that someone who needs pharmaceutical intervention for the UC shouldn't take it, quite the opposite. However, phrases such as “promising novel agents” and ” sales of maintenance therapies in 2010 accounted for nearly three-quarters of major-market ulcerative colitis sales” and “will contribute to an increase in sales of maintenance therapies as well as an increase in sales of acute therapies” all point toward a burgeoning market that is being driven toward medication with no effort to look at the underlying causes. More than a billion dollars in growth over ten years is a powerful market force.

I'm frustrated because in my own journey toward health, and that of clients that I work with, our concerns and questions are often disregarded; we are simply advised to take medication. My first GI doctor was skeptical when I told him I wanted to change my diet. But he didn't stop me and I was able to avoid the need for daily meds. While I'm certainly not cured, I'm definitely better. And many people I know with UC lead much more manageable lives (some with and some without medication) by paying attention to their diet and whatever their personal triggers may be (stress being one of the biggest).

If we are experiencing huge growth in the market for this type of a disorder isn't it worthwhile to look into the root cause? Sadly I believe the answer is no because then the pharmaceutical industry wouldn't be able to sell anything, or as much of anything as they are obviously planning on doing now. Again, I want to make it perfectly clear that I would never, under any circumstances, tell someone to stop taking their medication. I do, however, question why our current system does not seek answers by looking at the whole picture. Why the system simply accepts that this, sometimes debilitating, condition is growing by such large numbers. Shouldn't we be helping people learn how to better meet the needs of their body rather than throwing medication at the “high unmet need?” Shouldn't we be figuring out why so very many people are starting to come down with this disease?

Saving Calories

by Mirahabits, health, substitutions, weight

The New Year has come and gone. The festivities are over, the days are getting longer and we're one week into what for many people is the annual self torture of resolutions. As I've mentioned before I really don't like the word resolution. It seems hard and finite and often is a rather amorphous concept. “I resolve to lose 10 pounds” “I resolve to go to the gym more often” and other statements. There's no strategy of how it's going to happen, no defined timeline and if you don't succeed you feel like you've failed.

It may seems like splitting hairs but I prefer the term goal. The goal outlines what you hope to achieve. And if you don't quite get there that doesn't mean you have to give up in dejected defeat.

Because so many people struggle with their weight at this time of year that tends to be one of the more common health goals I hear. I'd like to start by sharing that weight loss is more than just eating less. It's about changing habits, moving more, changing mindsets and, yes, eating less. But there are ingrained habit that need to change.

Spend some time focusing on mindful eating (chew, be grateful for your food, enjoy your food, take time with your meal, and chew [yes I repeated that one, it's important and many of use don't chew enough]). Mindful eating helps us to better digest our food in so many ways from making sure that we are breaking down the food, getting adequate salivary enzymes, and also having our body in a calm focused place to be able to digest. Liz Lipski, the Digestive Wellness guru, tells us that we often fuel our bodies the way we fuel our cars….stop, gas, go. She's right. The next time you sit down to a meal stop a moment and recognize how you are eating. Most of you will discover that you are rushing through your meal and if you take a few extra moments you will feel better and calmer.

Move more. If you have a car and it just sits in the driveway and never goes anywhere when you eventually need it the tires are cracked and dry, the engine fluids are gummy and don't lubricate well and the car may not function the way it is supposed to. That car is a metaphor for our bodies. Use them and they stay active and functioning. This is nothing you don't already know but sometimes we just need a reminder. Park a little further away at the grocery store. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Sign up for a physical movement class or find a free one on DVD or the internet. You'll feel better and your body will be burning calories which can help with weight management.

vegetable broth | photo: Takeaway

I also like give you a few ways to make small measurable food changes that can add up, helping you to shed pounds:

Consider changing your plate size. We often cue in to the size of the plate to help us determine how much food to put on it. If you use a smaller plate you often take less food but find yourself just as satisfied.
Consider changing your plate altogether. Slimware is a company that sells some really attractive plates that have designs on them that are portion controlled. This visual cue can help you learn how to choose portion sizes over serving sizes.
Choose salsa instead of queso. That cheesy dip or melted cheese topping adds up to a lot of calories and a lot of fat. Substituting salsa for some, or all, of the cheese not only saves calories it adds delicious flavor. A baked potato with black beans and salsa is one of my favorites and really needs no cheese or sour cream.
Looking for something crunchy? Forego the corn chips and snack mix. Try air popped popcorn instead. With a tiny bit of melted butter or coconut oil, a hint of salt and some spices you've got a great crunchy snack that doesn't have nearly the same caloric count. Be sure to choose organic popcorn to avoid any potential GM contamination.
Add a cup of soup to your dinnertime routine. A delicious strong stock with veggies and herbs or even a tomato based veggie soup is a great way to get your digestion going but also to help fill your tummy. Barbara Rolls, a Ph.D. at Penn State shares that “Eating a 100-calorie bowl of broth-based soup…at the start of a meal takes the edge off your hunger. Even with the extra course … you are likely to eat fewer total calories during the meal.”
Remember the Three Polite Bite Rule. If you are going to have dessert have just three polite bites. You'll get enough to satisfy that sweet tooth without overdoing the sugar intake.

Step-by-step small meaningful changes can add up to a healthier you.

Interested in making more changes? Anyone who leaves a comment and their email address on the blog will receive a free copy of my “Eating Out – Eating Healthy” ebook.

Disclaimer: cmp.ly/5

Are Trans Fats Shrinking Your Brain?

by Mirafats and oil, health, labeling

I hear about this scenario a lot. Not just from families, from anyone who has a hectic, modern, over-scheduled life. You're out and about, after a soccer game, running errands, running late after a meeting, and you suddenly realize that you're hungry. So you decide to stop for a quick bite to eat. More often than not it's probably fast food. While we all know fast food isn't really good for you, we sometimes for get how often we're choosing to eat it. Or we think, “Well, I'm in a hurry so it's okay this one time.” Truthfully the fast food run is more frequent than most people realize. Especially if they're not taking the time to journal what and when they eat.

Trans-fats and brain health

Aside from the poor quality meat, high levels of fat and sodium, and high-calorie intake, it looks like there's even more reason to avoid that drive-through window. A recent study run by Dr. Gene L. Bowman, an assistant professor of neurology at the Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center at the Oregon Health & Science University, found that people with high levels of trans-fats in their blood had lower cognitive performance scores as well as lower brain volume. While the study was admittedly small and homogenous (100, elderly Caucasians living in Oregon), Dr. Bowman notes that the results of the testing were so clear that this particular pattern should not be ignored. Testing looked at nutrient levels in the body, cognitive function and included MRI studies. What does this mean? In plain English, there was a positive correlation between higher levels of trans-fats and lower brain function and smaller brain size. That's a scary thought.

Although trans fats have been removed from the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) list they have not been banned for use in food products. Although at this point just about everyone knows that trans-fats are bad for our heart you'd think that would be enough to convince people to avoid them. Sadly, that is not the case as evidenced by how many products still contain trans fats. And with this new research it now it looks like trans fats are also bad for your brain. This provides even more reason to avoid them.

Avoiding trans fats

It's difficult to identify trans fats in fast food, and truthfully most people don't take the time to look it up on those posted-near-the-bathroom menu charts. The easiest suggestion is to assume that if it comes from a fast food restaurant and it's fried there is a high probability that it contains trans fats. It is important to note that although many fast food restaurants are proudly touting no trans-fats in their food.

For example, a large french fries from McDonald's is technically one serving (so is a small french fries by the way). That large fries contains 510 calories and 24 grams of fat. That's 37% of the daily value of fat calories for someone who eats a 2,000 calorie a day diet.

According to the McDonald's website, 220 of those calories are from fat, 3.5 grams are saturated fats, and there are 0 grams of trans fat.

This is a lie. We know this because of the ingredients list:

Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Natural Beef Flavor [Wheat and Milk Derivatives]*), Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (Maintain Color), Salt. *Natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients.

That hydrogenated oil is a trans fat. So how is McDonald's allowed to claim 0 trans fats in this single serving of large french fries? This is due to a Federal ruling that allows them to claim no trans fats if there is less than .05 per serving. But remember the changing serving size. A small is one, a medium is one, and a large is one. That seems like pretty bad math to me. Because it's considered one serving they can say 0 grams of trans fats, but it all adds up pretty quickly.

Trans fats at the grocery store

Fast food is not, alas, the only place that one finds trans-fats. There are plenty of items on the grocery store shelf that contains them as well. Look for the words hydrogenated, partially-hydrogenated, olestra, and mono- and di-glycerides. These indicate the presence of trans fats in that food item. These trans fats are created; they are not from natural sources. There is a small amount of trans fats naturally occurring in beef, lamb, and dairy. But in the case of hydrogenated ingredients, it comes from forcing hydrogen into liquid fats to make them solid at room temperature.

So why are trans fats bad for you? For one they raise the level of LDL or “bad” cholesterol in your system. Unfortunately, they also lower the level of HDL or “good” cholesterol. Not a good combination. And as we've learned above, avoiding them is important not only for your heart but for your brain as well.

Avoiding fast food snacking

So what should you do when you are out and about and need a snack? There are several options available:

Have a protein bar available – I almost always have a healthy protein bar in my glove box or purse for an emergency snack. Look for bars that don't have a high sugar content and provide balanced proteins and fat.
Stop at a grocery store and buy an apple and some raw nuts. It's a delicious and healthy snack. Often it costs far less than that drive-through meal. The trick is not to get side-tracked in the grocery store and start to shop for other things. Treat it like a fast food run, you can always do your grocery shopping later.
Plan ahead. If you know you are going to be out and about you can plan ahead and bring food with you. Using a handy snack container, such as a Laptop Lunchbox, you can pack a healthy snack and skip the trans-fats.