Are you stuck in the seemingly endless cycle of weight loss? Weight loss can feel tricky, especially if you always feel hungry. But here’s something to consider: in the course of one year, for every 100-calorie difference in your diet, your weight will go up or down approximately 10 pounds. If you think about it, […]
Tums, The Weight Loss Wonder Pill Read More »
Whether you have heartburn (GERD), bloating with meals, or symptoms commonly attributed to hypoglycemia, one of the most common causes for all of these conditions is a gastrointestinal disorder known as gastroparesis. Gastroparesis is a Latin term for ‘paralyzed stomach’ and is used to describe various symptoms attributable to slow emptying of the stomach. Gastroparesis
Heartburn, Acid Build-Up and Low Blood Sugar Read More »
A recent study is being loudly quoted in the press with headlines such as “Processed Red Meat Intake Linked to Type 2 Diabetes Risk”. Most non-scientists will read the headline and come away with the impression that red meat is somehow bad for them. If people read the true title of the article, “Red meat consumption and
Bad Reporting, Mediocre Science and the Dangers of Foods Read More »
Many people drink sports drinks before or after exercising. These often contain a lot of carbohydrates (Gatorade = 30 grams, Powerade = 25 grams) which are being shown is scientific studies to work against your exercise efforts. Here is an interesting paper that reviews the benefits of ketogenic diet. Its an interesting read with some great historical perspective. Here is the low down.
Carbs, Sport Drinks and Exercise Read More »
A Brief Overview of Atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is a process of chronic inflammation of the cells lining the arterial walls. Overtime, scar-like tissue builds up with some deposition of calcium and small dense cholesterol molecules in the tissue. Ultimately, the inflamed atherosclerotic lesion can rupture, a blood clot suddenly forms and an individual will experience a heart
Mummies and Atherosclerosis Read More »
What is Fatty Liver? Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a disorder of fat metabolism within the liver and affects approximately 1/3 of all Americans. The term “non-alcoholic” is used to clearly separate the liver damage that can occur from NAFLD from somewhat similar damage done by Alcoholic Hepatitis. NAFLD begins with the accumulation of
30% of All Americans Have Fatty Liver. Do You? Read More »
The Problem According to the American Heart Association, more than 910,000 Americans still die of heart disease annually. And more than 70 million Americans live every day with some form of heart disease which can include high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke, angina (chest pain), heart attack and congenital heart defects. The Myth “Being overweight or
Obesity Does Not Cause Heart Disease Read More »
The Importance of Elevated Triglycerides Insulin resistance is the cause of type II diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease and most cases of high blood pressure. These conditions are dangerous and occur much more frequently in patients with HIV Disease than in the general population. The main reason for this is insulin resistance. Triglyceride elevation
Monitoring Triglycerides is Important in HIV Disease Read More »
Brown Rice is Not as Healthy as You Think Many patients will ask me if it’s OK for them to eat more carbs than I recommend (less than 100 grams per day) to control their diabetes as long as they are eating low-glycemic carbs (think whole wheat bread or pasta, brown rice, vegetables and fruit). The answer is no.
‘Low Carb’ is More Effective than ‘Low Glycemic’ for Diabetes Read More »
A reduction in carbohydrate consumption has been shown to be more effective in lowering blood pressure than eating a low fat diet. The study compared low carbohydrate diet with a low fat diet that was combined with a weight loss drug. The low carbohydrate diet group was much more effective than the low fat diet plus
Treat Hypertension With Low Carb Diet Read More »
Why Starting The Atkins Diet Causes You To Feel Tired Patients who go on the Atkins low carbohydrate diet often experience headaches, ‘brain fog’, lightheadedness or fatigue the first few weeks after reducing their carbohydrate intake. These symptoms will improve after a few weeks but for some individuals they can be quit severe and will
Why Starting The Atkins Diet Causes You To Feel Tired Read More »
What is Gout? Gout is a common form of arthritis that has been recognized for centuries. Patients often will complain of experiencing recurrent episodes of pain and inflammation in a joint, particularly the large toe and usually lasts for 1-2 weeks. It is often associated with obesity and excessive alcohol consumption. The incidence of gout
Too Many Carbohydrates Cause Gout Read More »
Excess Carbohydrates Cause Elevated Triglycerides Overweight patients commonly have elevations of their small LDL cholesterol and triglycerides as well as decreases of their HDL cholesterol; all of these changes correlate with an increased risk of heart attacks. This pattern is collectively known as atherogenic dyslipidemia and is associated with the narrowing of arteries called atherosclerosis.
Reduce Carbs to Lower Triglycerides Read More »
What Does A Family History of Diabetes, High Blood Pressure or Heart Attacks Really Mean? I’ve spoken with many patients who worry about their health and that of their children because there seems to be a strong family history of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or even heart attacks. Their concerns are obvious but
What to Do About a Family History of Diabetes, High Blood Pressure or Heart Attacks Read More »
If it does, don’t think you’re alone. Many Americans are dealing with the same thing. Patients complain about it to me all the time. What you may be experiencing is an accumulation of fat within the abdominal cavity (called intra abdominal fat). And your body may be abnormally storing fat there because the carbohydrates (sugar and starches) in your
Does Your Abdomen Stick Out Too Far? Read More »
Soda is Dangerous In a recently published study in the November 2010 issue of Diabetes Care, Dr Vasanti S Malik (Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA) reported that consumption of just one or two sugar-sweetened beverages per day is associated with a 26% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and a 20% increased risk
Soda is as Dangerous as Cigarettes Read More »
Poisoning Our Children’s Future The diabetes epidemic is growing so rapidly that presently 1 of every 10 adults in the U.S. has diabetes. That number is anticipated to grow to 1 of every 3 adults by 2050. That means that 1/3 of all those beautiful little kids in your child’s classroom, 1/3 of their soccer teammates and
Low Carbohydrate Treats For Halloween Read More »
The Myth Almost everyday a patient tells me they believe eating 5 times a day is important. They remember hearing that eating multiple times a day helps keep their blood sugar up. To make matters worse, patients believe they are suppose to specifically eat carbohydrates throughout the day. I understand why they believe this. I hear and
No Health Benefits From Eating 5 Times A Day Read More »
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common hormone disorder among women of reproductive age. PCOS affects approximately 5-14% of women (depending on the definition used). here is no significant difference between white and black women with regard to incidence of PCOS when controlling for BMI and age. PCOS is often associated
Carbohydrate Reduction and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Read More »
Headaches, A Common Malady A common problem many people experience from time-to-time is a headache. We can still function through the day with a mild headache but they can sometime become so severe as to incapacitate a person. There are many known causes of headaches but there are only a few that occur quite commonly
Headaches and Lightheadedness Read More »
Introduction Many people are familiar with the occasionally sensation of feeling light-headed when getting up out of bed or after bending over to pick up an item or tie their shoes. This lightheadedness can sometimes be accompanied by visual changes such as seeing black spots, burred vision or transient vertigo. On occasion, the lightheadedness can
Excess Carbohydrates Equals Lightheadedness and Fatigue Read More »
Introduction Many patients commonly experience symptoms of urinary frequency, urgency or incontinence. They may wake 2-4 times at night to urinate, have a sensation of needing to urinate but produce only a small amount of urine, have frequent or even the surprisingly urgent need to urinate during the daytime. Does this sound familiar? Many of
Carbohydrates and Urination Problems Read More »
The approach taken on this blog is not the Adkin’s diet. Completely eliminating carbohydrates is not the intention, but more a reduction. Reducing the amount of carbohydrates eaten in a day and increasing protein in the diet is one of the best steps toward weight loss. Besides the benefits of weight reduction, reducing carbohydrates in
How to Start Your Low Carb Diet Read More »
I recently had the pleasure to travel to the beautiful city of Chicago to visit friends, dine at a few nice restaurants and escape the generally maddening pace of running my medical practice. During our visit we decided to go to Gino’s East to enjoy some of their famous deep dish pizza. Now, many of
When Deciding What to Eat, Be Sure To Make It ‘Carb Worthy’ Read More »
Do you need to eat carbohydrates to fuel your body? No. Carbohydrates (sugars and starches) are digested in the intestinal tract and transformed into a molecule known as glucose; this is the substance commonly referred to as blood sugar. Glucose is utilized as a energy source primarily for the brain and a small amount for
Myth: You Need to Eat Carbohydrates To Fuel Your Body Read More »
In terms of carbohydrates, an overall reduction of processed, simple carbohydrates in the diet is the best approach for weight loss while maintaining satiety. Specifically, the carbohydrate reduction in the diet should focus on consuming more protein and less bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, and corn. Along with that list, a natural reduction of sugars and
Beans Are Good for You Read More »
Many patients I see in my practice are taking fish oil supplements and don’t really understand why they are beneficial but just that everyone seems to recommend taking them. Fish and certain plant and nut oils are common natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty acids are special molecules that have a wide array of
How Much Fish Oil Should I Take And Why? Read More »
One of the most intriguing aspects about reducing your carbohydrate intake is the surprising sculpting effect it has on your body. This seems to be most notable in women because they genetically carry a greater proportion of fat in the hips and thighs are much more apt to notice a change in how their skirt
Your Pants Will Feel Looser Before Your Scale Says You’re Lighter Read More »
Waking still fatigued in the morning in spite of sleeping for many hours is referred to as ‘non-restorative sleep’ and is one of the hallmark symptoms of a variety of sleep disorders. The most common sleep disorder is Sleep Apnea. Sleep Apnea causes abnormal breathing when asleep and leads to prolonged periods of low blood
Tired Even After A Long Night’s Rest? Read More »
What are the Symptoms of Insulin Resistance? People may have Insulin Resistance for several years without noticing anything. But in many individuals, Insulin Resistance causes a wide variety of common symptoms we often attribute to other medical circumstances. These symptoms often occur because of an imbalance of your autonomic nervous system. Common symptoms from autonomic
Does Insulin Resistance Have Any Symptoms and What Is Metabolic Syndrome? Read More »
Medical Disclaimer: The information presented on this website is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, and does not create any patient-physician relationship.
