Monthly Archives: October 2016

The Myth Of Weight Loss Programs

by ingredients, weight

A new book is out that accuses Weight Watchers of targeting and tricking women.  (This blog post is not meant to be a dismissal of Weight Watchers alone.  It's more of an observation of the industry as a whole.) In the article the author of the book shares a couple of sobering thoughts:

“I would boldly stand by the claim that health food, today's health food is worse for you than junk food. It's usually the same thing; the difference is that no one eats Fritos or Papa John's thinking it's good for them.”

“The whole game is about distracting people. It's kind of like a magic trick. If we're pointing out to you, “Hey, look over here because it's low fat!” it's because we're distracting you from the fact that it's high sugar.”

The article essentially boils down to a couple of truths.

  1. Crutch foods don't teach you how to eat real food – if you're being taught how to lose weight because you're buying snacks, meals, and foods from a particular company and you can only buy their products, chances are once you go off that you will gain weight again.  This is because you get stuck in their system, you're not learning how to nourish your body independent of their products.
  2. You MUST read and understand the label – the article actually encourages people to avoid reading the label. I believe that's the wrong approach.  Yes, you can be easily mis-lead and manufacturers do manipulate in a number of different ways.  However I believe that if you understand the label and know what you're looking at, this is your best option to be able to make informed, intelligent decisions about your food.

I know a lot of people who have successfully lost weight with Weight Watchers. Unfortunately I also know a lot of people who have lifetime memberships. If you've lost weight that's wonderful and I'm happy for you. Really I am. But if you're yoyo-ing and you think it's your fault I want to tell you you're really not to blame.  The truth is even though you lost weight on the program, you still haven't learned how to eat real food.

Another truth? Not everyone who eats real food is super skinny. Thin does NOT equal healthy.  In some cases thin is unhealthy.  That's counter to what the beauty industry, all those glamor magazines, and the weight loss industry would have you believe.  But I promise you there are people out there who are thin and unhealthy.  What's more important is to be nourished.  To learn to avoid crappy ingredients, to be healthy in body and mind, and to eat real food.

Avoid Sugar If You Have A Cold

by health, immune system

 

I just spoke with a friend, Sarah, who is feeling a little under the weather.  She's got a bad cold and is generally not feeling well.  She wanted to know if there was anything she could take in addition to orange juice and tea to help her feel better.

Where to get your vitamin C

Most people reach for orange juice when they've got a cold.  They're thinking they need vitamin C and this is their best source.  It's been shown that vitamin C can prove beneficial in lessening the duration of a cold.  One particular study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that cold and flu symptoms could be reduced by as much as 85% with the administration of megadoses of vitamin C.
 
But orange juice is actually not your best choice.  Yes, vitamin C boosts the immune system, but sugar suppresses it and there's a lot of sugar in orange juice (approximately 22g per 8 ounces). Even eating fruit is not necessarily recommended as the fruit sugars will still work to suppress your immune system.  If taking vitamin C in supplemental form you'll need to take several doses through out the day as our bodies don't tend to absorb more than 1,000 mg at a time.
 
Good non-fruit food sources of vitamin C (not in order of nutrient density) include Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, swiss chard, collard greens, spinach, winter squash and green peas.  There are others but these tend to be the highest.

Cold remedies

Other good choices for supporting the system are zinc lozenges and elderberry syrup.  Long considered to be folk remedies, these are being studied for their effectiveness in supporting cold symptoms.
 
According to one study published in the journal BioMed Central:
 
Zinc acetate lozenges shortened the duration of nasal discharge by 34% (95% CI: 17% to 51%), nasal congestion by 37% (15% to 58%), sneezing by 22% (−1% to 45%), scratchy throat by 33% (8% to 59%), sore throat by 18% (−10% to 46%), hoarseness by 43% (3% to 83%), and cough by 46% (28% to 64%). Zinc lozenges shortened the duration of muscle ache by 54% (18% to 89%), but there was no difference in the duration of headache and fever.
 
Another study published in Nutrients which looked at air travelers and cold symptoms, cold duration, and symptoms found:
 
Placebo group participants had a significantly longer duration of cold episode days (117 vs. 57, p = 0.02) and the average symptom score over these days was also significantly higher (583 vs. 247, p = 0.05). These data suggest a significant reduction of cold duration and severity in air travelers.

Traditional hygiene and wellness strategies

These still apply.  We know them but sometimes we get a little lazy.  During cold and flu season be sure to protect your health by incorporating the following:

  • Wash hands, especially after shaking hands or touching door knobs, elevator buttons or stair rails. 
  • Get enough sleep.  Lack of sleep can contribute significantly to reduced immune function
  • Go outdoors.  Fresh air and sunshine are an important part of wellness.  Although we do not get as much vitamin D from the sun in the winter, we’re still making serotonin which can help with Seasonal Affective Disorder.
  • Drink up.  Include soups, fresh juices, and herbal teas to stay hydrated and keep your system functioning well.
  • Eating a colorful diet.  In the winter we have a need for certain nutrients found in the seasonal vegetables.  These would include dark leafy greens and winter squashes.