Life has undoubtedly gotten busier for many families, with a higher number of families with both parents who work, and for those families with children, at least 75 activities per child to attend both practice and competitions.  No wonder processed food has made such a rise in popularity.  I mean, who has time to cook with all of the other obligations?  Unfortunately, these grab-and-go options may not be the best choice in the long run.

So, what exactly is processed food?  Essentially, if you can either take it out of the wrapper and nosh on it or warm it up and scarf it, then it’s probably processed.  The same generally holds true if the ingredients are essentially unpronounceable.  If you can pick it from a plant, harvest it from an animal, and it requires more than a defrost setting on a stove or microwave, then it’s much less likely to be highly processed.  Typically, less processed foods have a shorter shelf life as well due to the lack of preservatives.

Well, what’s the problem with easy?  Regrettably, there are a number of issues with processed foods.  Processed foods tend to be higher in salt, which can both increase blood pressure as well as retention of water (which in turn can increase weight and swelling/bloating).  Sugar is often a major ingredient, which may have negative effects on both insulin resistance as well as decreasing satiety (sensation of fullness).  Also, prepackaged foods tend to have larger portions, and this increased portion size can encourage overeating.  Lastly, this doesn’t even begin to touch on ultra-processed drinks.  Studies suggest that sugary drinks provide an increase in calorie intake without providing nearly the level of satiety that similar calorie intake from food can provide.  Most are aware that soda isn’t great for health, but even fruit juice without added sugar can provide a similar carb/calorie profile.  While fruit is great for health, it loses the added fullness benefits of fiber and the bulk of the fruit itself when ingested as a juice.

Are there better options?  Actually, there are a number of good choices available.  Exchanges like water and fruits for sodas and juice and snacks of nuts rather than chips are a simple place to start.  Using fresh ingredients to prepare you meals on the weekend for the week ahead allow you much more control over both your salt and sugar intake, and the effort required to prepare you meals can reduce impulse eating that happens “just because (insert your favorite junk food) was there in the house.”

Ultimately big changes begin with simple steps.  Starting with the steps that are easiest for you and then working toward the more involved processes can allow for maintainable improvements in your health as opposed to very drastic but untenable phases.  While sudden and huge lifestyle modifications can show quick results, these changes often ultimately result in frustration due to the return of previous habits and in turn, previous health status.  Good luck with your fitness goals, and here’s to a healthy summer!

Dr. Nick

Looking for a little more motivation to keep up with your New Year’s health goals?  New data from the American Cancer Society suggests that being overweight or obese increases your risk of both developing and dying from cancer.  As many as 8% of all cancers and 7% of all cancer deaths are thought to be caused by excess body weight, even if you’re otherwise healthy.

There is a clear association between obesity/being overweight and endometrial cancer, (menopausal) breast cancer, colon cancer, esophageal, renal (kidney) and pancreatic cancer.  There may also be a link to ovarian, cervical, gallbladder, liver, multiple myeloma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma as well as aggressive prostate cancer (while prostate cancer is not a concern for women, it may affect your partner).  Even for normal weight women, having increased belly fat is associated with the development of cancer. 

Why do researchers think this happens?  It seems like “healthy” and “obese” may not go together after all, as obesity can have negative effects on immune function, inflammation, and hormone.  These changes can impact not only overall health but may play a role in the development of certain cancers.  For instance, excess estrogen production from adipose (fat) tissue can change the flow and length of the menstrual cycle, and this unopposed estrogen is associated with the development of endometrial cancer.  This same mechanism may contribute to some types of breast cancer as well.

Even a small amount of weight loss may be helpful for decreasing cancer risk, and, of course, there is a reduction in heart disease and diabetes.  Weight loss can also be helpful in bringing some predictability back to the menstrual cycle without the need for hormonal birth control to regulate bleeding. 

Given all of the benefits above, not to mention an improved sense of overall wellbeing, now is the perfect time to start making and working toward your own health goals for 2019.  Whether that’s to take an exercise class, run an 5K or just lose those pesky (fill in the blank) pounds, we hope that this information can help provide some motivation.  Good luck living your best 2019!
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Dr. Nick

What are probiotics?  Probiotics are bacteria.  Yep, they’re the same type of organism responsible for pneumonia or strep throat or gonorrhea.  Fortunately, not all bacteria are bad, and, in fact, many of them are part of a healthy body.  There are actually more bacteria in your intestine than there are cells in your body.  While typically the “good” bacteria outnumber the “bad” bacteria, problems begin to occur when there are shifts in the types of bacteria usually found in the healthy body.  This type of imbalance can lead to bowel issues, weight gain, some skin conditions and may be a contributing factor to bacterial vaginosis.

​What are the most common types of probiotics?  Bifidobacterium may be helpful in treating IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), and this bacteria can be found in certain dairy products.  Another common probiotic that can be helpful for bowel symptoms is lactobacillus.  It can be found in a number of fermented foods.  Lastly, saccharomyces boulardii, a yeast, and bacillus coagulans, another bacteria, can also be helpful for digestive issues.

Why take probiotics?  A diverse gastrointestinal flora (lots of different kinds of bacteria in your digestive tract) may help reduce irritable bowel symptoms, manage weight, improve diarrhea after antibiotics, increase immune function, bolster mental and heart health, and decrease the severity of allergy symptoms.  That being said, research hasn’t been able to consistently show these benefits in all studies, and there is still a lot of research to be done.

Is there anyone who shouldn’t take probiotics?  Anyone who has a suppressed immune system or serious health conditions should probably avoid taking these supplements, and pregnant women should also use caution.  Remember, effective probiotics are live bacteria, and some bacteria can call illnesses.  More common side effects are GI distress, although serious allergic reactions or infections can sometimes occur.  Since probiotics are a nutritional supplement rather than a medication, the FDA guarantees neither the safety or efficacy of a probiotic supplement.

What is the best way to get probiotics?  The simplest way to incorporate probiotics is often to supplement, but since these supplements aren’t FDA regulated, the quality can vary a lot from one supplement to the next.  For instance, probiotics have to be both living and highly concentrated to be effective, so any process that either kills the bacteria or doesn’t adequately protect the bacteria from stomach acid isn’t going to allow proper supplementation.  For a more natural way to add probiotics, look toward fermented foods such as yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir milk, and some cheeses. 

Another option to improve gastrointestinal health is to feed the bacteria already present in the intestines.   Bacteria in the bowel thrives on fiber, so increasing daily intake of fruits and vegetables can be helpful in improving overall GI health by nurturing the good bacteria already present in the bowels.  In fact, for the roughly half of people who have “resistant” gastrointestinal flora, this may be more effective than a probiotic supplement that will end up making for some expensive poop.  Even for those whose GI tract welcomes the new probiotics, these bacteria are more likely to grow (and their hosts reap benefits) when fed a high fiber diet.

So, there you have it.  Probiotics seem to have a lot of promise for helping with a variety of health conditions, but for now, the best way to incorporate them into the diet and who is most likely to benefit from them is still up for debate.  In the meantime, it appears that an old-fashioned high fiber diet will still be a winner whether you plan to supplement or not 😊

Dr. Nick

I’ve often heard people joke about “being addicted” to sugar, but as it turns out, sugar addiction may not be a laughing matter.  Believe it or not, the same reward pathways in the brain the reinforce drug and nicotine use also reinforce sugar use.  Dopamine (essentially a chemical in the brain the makes you feel good) causes us to feel both withdrawal from and cravings for sugar.  The bottom line is withdrawal+craving=addiction.

As Americans, we consume roughly the equivalent of 65 lbs of sugar per year.  That’s a lot, right?  To put it in perspective, even the suggested amount of no more than 9 teaspoons of added sugar per day for men and only 6 per day for women add up to 29 lbs and 19 lbs, respectively.  Instead we consume nearly 20 teaspoons per day, more than double the recommended daily amount!

So, what’s the problem with some sugar?  Obviously, most people are aware of the negative effects on heart health, blood pressure, cholesterol, and rotten teeth, not to mention risk of diabetes and obesity, but that’s really only the tip of the iceberg.  Cancer cells thrive on sugar, and there’s probably also a link between asthma and sugar intake.  Also, excess sugar intake can inhibit the ability to get a good night’s sleep and even predispose to depression and dementia.  Lastly, if the above reasons aren’t good enough to limit sugar intake, excess sugar consumption makes you look older faster, aging you nearly 5 years faster per 20 oz soda per day.  You might as well be smoking for all of the harm it does to your face.

Good thing I really don’t add sugar to my food, right?  Unfortunately, roughly ¾ of packaged food contains added sugar, and the companies don’t have to let you know until 2020.  Not only that, but many packaged foods marketed as “healthy” are actually some of the biggest culprits.  Gluten-free foods typically have more sugar, salt, fat and saturated fat as well as less protein and fiber than their gluten-containing counterparts.  Not to mention, these products are typically much more expensive.  Other “healthy” products that often contain high amounts of added sugar include smoothies, trail mix, flavored yogurts, oatmeal and salad dressing.  Even juices labeled 100% juice often have very high sugar concentrations.
Trading in soda for energy drinks?  On average, energy drinks contain about 30 grams of sugar.  Sports drinks can have as many as 40 grams, and flavored coffee drinks can clock in at nearly 50 grams.  Just one of these per day can push you well past the recommended 24-36 grams per day.

Ready to make a change?  Often the first, and simplest, step is limiting sugary drinks.  Focus on increasing water, unsweetened tea, unsweetened coffee, and did I mention water intake?  Not only will this reduce your intake of added sugar, but being well-hydrated also increases satiety (fullness) thereby decreasing cravings.  Next, be sure to check out nutrition labels.  In addition to sugar levels, scan ingredients for other sweeteners like honey, anything named syrup, and anything ending in -ose (dextrose, glucose, maltose, fructose, etc.)  Finally, use whole fresh ingredients whenever possible so that you get to be in charge of the flavoring/seasoning process.

Good luck kicking that nasty sugar habit!

Dr. Nick