I am currently reading The Pursuit of Perfect by Tal Ben-Shahar.
In this book he describes the importance of being grateful.
He writes about the research of Robert Emmons and MichaelMcCullough. These psychologists conducted a series of studies in which they asked participants to write down at least five things, major or minor, for which they were grateful.
Their studies revealed that those who wrote on a daily basis about the things they were grateful for were "more appreciative of life, more determined, enjoyed higher levels of well-being,felt happier, more energetic and more optimistic."
I am fortunate to communicate with a friend who shares with methe five things she is grateful for each day. I enjoy reading these e-mails.
In her last e-mail, my friend raised a valid point. She wrote,"We truly forget how much we have to be grateful for. If we wrote a list -- and had open minds about it -- without getting caught up in the minutiae of our everyday somewhat ordinary lives, we would definitely see how much we do have to be grateful about. "
She's right. Many of us have a tendency to get so "wrapped up" in our lives that we don't take the time to be grateful -especially for the smallest pleasures. We take too many things for granted.
Tal Ben-Shahar writes, "When we make a habit of gratitude, we no longer require a special event to make us happy. We become more aware of good things that happen to us during the day, as we anticipate putting them on our list."
Here's my list for today. I am grateful for:
1. Less back pain
2. Dinner with the family
3. A very nice "thank you" letter from a client
4. My computer and the fact that it worked without a hitchtoday
5. Friends who listen and do not judge
The action step this week is to begin a daily exercise of writing down five things for which you are grateful. Try to write something different every day. Do your best to make a habit of this mental exercise.
Lastly, I highly recommend Tal Ben-Shahar's books, The Pursuit of Perfect and Happier. Both are well worth the read.
To Your Health, Wealth & Happiness!
Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Music Can Soothe Pain
Last week I received a “thank you” present from a patient. The present was a record album.
Yes, you did read it correctly- “Album.”
It wasn’t a CD or MP3. It was pure vinyl. The album was from 1976, “A Day at The Races” by Queen. One of their top hits, Somebody to Love is recorded on this album.
I gave the record to my daughter who is a big fan of Queen. She stared at the record jacket with awe.
I explained to her the sound is totally different listening to music on vinyl versus CD. I am now looking for a record player. Listening to music brings her great joy.
For many, music plays a large role in their lives. As they say, “Music soothes the savage beast” or “Music soothes the soul”.
It is my opinion and the opinion of some research that music can decrease the perception and/or sensation of pain.
The study, “Music for pain relief” (Cepeda MS, Carr DB, Lau J, Alvarez H; prepared and maintained by The Cochrane Collaboration, currently published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008 Issue 3, Copyright © 2008) revealed the following: Listening to music for treatment of pain offers potential advantages of low cost, ease of provision, and safety. This systematic review included 51 studies involving 3663 subjects. The review authors found that music reduced pain, increased the number of patients who reported at least 50% pain relief, and reduced requirements for morphine-like analgesics.
Although this study was not a large study and the clinical relevance of music for pain relief should be further investigated the results still reveal that music helps to soothe pain or at least offer a pain distraction.
Another study about music revealed the following: In June 2006 the Journal of Advanced Nursing found that listening to music daily reduced chronic pain, made people feel more in control of their pain, reduced depression, and made people feel less disabled by their condition.
If you are in chronic pain consider using music as part of your pain management.
To Your Health, Wealth & Happiness!
Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
www.frompaintopersonalgain.com
www.boomersguidetochronicpain.com
Yes, you did read it correctly- “Album.”
It wasn’t a CD or MP3. It was pure vinyl. The album was from 1976, “A Day at The Races” by Queen. One of their top hits, Somebody to Love is recorded on this album.
I gave the record to my daughter who is a big fan of Queen. She stared at the record jacket with awe.
I explained to her the sound is totally different listening to music on vinyl versus CD. I am now looking for a record player. Listening to music brings her great joy.
For many, music plays a large role in their lives. As they say, “Music soothes the savage beast” or “Music soothes the soul”.
It is my opinion and the opinion of some research that music can decrease the perception and/or sensation of pain.
The study, “Music for pain relief” (Cepeda MS, Carr DB, Lau J, Alvarez H; prepared and maintained by The Cochrane Collaboration, currently published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008 Issue 3, Copyright © 2008) revealed the following: Listening to music for treatment of pain offers potential advantages of low cost, ease of provision, and safety. This systematic review included 51 studies involving 3663 subjects. The review authors found that music reduced pain, increased the number of patients who reported at least 50% pain relief, and reduced requirements for morphine-like analgesics.
Although this study was not a large study and the clinical relevance of music for pain relief should be further investigated the results still reveal that music helps to soothe pain or at least offer a pain distraction.
Another study about music revealed the following: In June 2006 the Journal of Advanced Nursing found that listening to music daily reduced chronic pain, made people feel more in control of their pain, reduced depression, and made people feel less disabled by their condition.
If you are in chronic pain consider using music as part of your pain management.
To Your Health, Wealth & Happiness!
Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
www.frompaintopersonalgain.com
www.boomersguidetochronicpain.com
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Complaining Does Not Change the Outcome
Let me share a story about two of my patients, Bob and Tim. I’ll set the scene for you.
They meet for lunch at the local sushi restaurant. The conversation starts off with niceties. How is the wife? How are the kids? Who do you think will win the presidency? The lunch is served. Bob says to Tim, “How have you been feeling?” Tim replies, “Well, to tell you the truth my bowels have been impacted for the last week and my stream isn’t what it used to be. The docs gave me some medicine three weeks ago that gave me the trots. So now I went from being clogged to the trots to being clogged again. They’re planning to perform a colonoscopy next week.”
At this point in time, Bob (who is sharing the story with me) no longer wants to eat any of his meal. Hearing the details about Tim’s intestinal problems has made him feel nauseated. Bob tells me that he is tired of listening to his friends complain about their intestinal and bodily dysfunctions.
I have noticed that complaining about one’s health is typical for many baby boomers. As we get older, our days are devoted to going to the doctor, trying new medicines, and getting poked or prodded and sometimes both, either just to maintain what one has or in the quest to stay and feel younger.
To be honest, when someone asks how you are feeling, the best reply should be, “Hanging in there” or “I’m fine.” Most people do not want to hear the truth, especially in detail. The exception should be when you are visiting your doctor. He/she should want to hear every detail about how you feel. You may say something that could suggest a condition for which your doctor would recommend an MRI, X-ray, blood work, or other more in-depth study.
For example, a new patient who is only 52 years old reported to my office with complaints of neck pain. An exam was performed and I determined that he was suffering with neck spasms. Towards the end of the exam he said, “I don’t know if this means anything, but I have been experiencing cramping pain in the back of my knee for the last few weeks. I wasn’t really going to share it with you, but do you think it might be related to my neck?” I quickly reviewed his chart, which revealed that he had high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. I referred him for an ultrasound and it turned out that he had a medium-sized clot in his leg. He was prescribed blood thinners and is fine today. What would have happened if he had never shared that piece of information? I can tell you that the outcome would have been a bad one.
So the rules when complaining about your health are two-fold—with family and friends, keep it brief and avoid the details, especially during meal time! But share how you feel with your doctor in great detail, as it may save your life.
The best way to avoid complaining at all is to stay healthy, exercise, create proper nutritional habits, and take time to de-stress.
That’s it for now.
Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
They meet for lunch at the local sushi restaurant. The conversation starts off with niceties. How is the wife? How are the kids? Who do you think will win the presidency? The lunch is served. Bob says to Tim, “How have you been feeling?” Tim replies, “Well, to tell you the truth my bowels have been impacted for the last week and my stream isn’t what it used to be. The docs gave me some medicine three weeks ago that gave me the trots. So now I went from being clogged to the trots to being clogged again. They’re planning to perform a colonoscopy next week.”
At this point in time, Bob (who is sharing the story with me) no longer wants to eat any of his meal. Hearing the details about Tim’s intestinal problems has made him feel nauseated. Bob tells me that he is tired of listening to his friends complain about their intestinal and bodily dysfunctions.
I have noticed that complaining about one’s health is typical for many baby boomers. As we get older, our days are devoted to going to the doctor, trying new medicines, and getting poked or prodded and sometimes both, either just to maintain what one has or in the quest to stay and feel younger.
To be honest, when someone asks how you are feeling, the best reply should be, “Hanging in there” or “I’m fine.” Most people do not want to hear the truth, especially in detail. The exception should be when you are visiting your doctor. He/she should want to hear every detail about how you feel. You may say something that could suggest a condition for which your doctor would recommend an MRI, X-ray, blood work, or other more in-depth study.
For example, a new patient who is only 52 years old reported to my office with complaints of neck pain. An exam was performed and I determined that he was suffering with neck spasms. Towards the end of the exam he said, “I don’t know if this means anything, but I have been experiencing cramping pain in the back of my knee for the last few weeks. I wasn’t really going to share it with you, but do you think it might be related to my neck?” I quickly reviewed his chart, which revealed that he had high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. I referred him for an ultrasound and it turned out that he had a medium-sized clot in his leg. He was prescribed blood thinners and is fine today. What would have happened if he had never shared that piece of information? I can tell you that the outcome would have been a bad one.
So the rules when complaining about your health are two-fold—with family and friends, keep it brief and avoid the details, especially during meal time! But share how you feel with your doctor in great detail, as it may save your life.
The best way to avoid complaining at all is to stay healthy, exercise, create proper nutritional habits, and take time to de-stress.
That’s it for now.
Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The Importance of Vitamin B12
I am often asked whether I believe in vitamins and supplements. Many people are confused about which vitamins and supplements they should take.
Quite often the general public is led by marketing through commercials and print ads. If we believe all the advertising, there would seem to be a vitamin or supplement to cure, or at least help with, every ailment. Unfortunately, that is not true. If that were the case, we Boomers would be taking almost every type of vitamin and supplement out there. How many of us suffer with knee pain, low back pain, headaches, hip pain, stomach issues, heart problems, and so on?
There is a significant lack of direction when it comes to deciding what we should be taking. It can be very upsetting to try to figure it out on our own. There are certified nutritionists who can help guide one through these murky waters by suggesting a vitamin or supplement for your body and your needs. But try to avoid the heavy sales tactics at your local nutrition/holistic store; I have had many patients who have walked out of the store with $200-300 worth of goods that provide very little benefit.
As the economy appears to be worsening, it is my humble opinion that the best bang for the buck with respect to vitamins is a B complex. B complex vitamins are usually labeled B-50 or B-100 for 50 milligrams and 100 milligrams of the B vitamins. Each B vitamin plays an important role in the function of the body.
One of the most important B vitamins is B12. The Mayo clinic states Vitamin B12 is an essential water-soluble vitamin that is commonly found in a variety of foods such as fish, shellfish, meat, and dairy products. Vitamin B12 is frequently used in combination with other B vitamins in a vitamin B complex formulation. It helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells and is also needed to make DNA, the genetic material in all cells.
A recent study in Neurology (Vogiatzoglou A, et al. Neurology. September 9, 2008; Vol. 71, Iss. 11, pp. 826-832) concluded that low vitamin B12 status should be further investigated as a modifiable cause of brain atrophy and of likely subsequent cognitive impairment in the elderly. In other words, vitamin B12 plays an important role in the mental ability of the elderly.
So if you have to choose just one vitamin group, I highly recommend the B vitamins. And, if you are not losing your shirt in this economy, the best advice about vitamins and supplements I can give is that you should consider being evaluated by a certified nutritionist to determine your needs.
Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
http://www.drmichaelkaye.com/
Quite often the general public is led by marketing through commercials and print ads. If we believe all the advertising, there would seem to be a vitamin or supplement to cure, or at least help with, every ailment. Unfortunately, that is not true. If that were the case, we Boomers would be taking almost every type of vitamin and supplement out there. How many of us suffer with knee pain, low back pain, headaches, hip pain, stomach issues, heart problems, and so on?
There is a significant lack of direction when it comes to deciding what we should be taking. It can be very upsetting to try to figure it out on our own. There are certified nutritionists who can help guide one through these murky waters by suggesting a vitamin or supplement for your body and your needs. But try to avoid the heavy sales tactics at your local nutrition/holistic store; I have had many patients who have walked out of the store with $200-300 worth of goods that provide very little benefit.
As the economy appears to be worsening, it is my humble opinion that the best bang for the buck with respect to vitamins is a B complex. B complex vitamins are usually labeled B-50 or B-100 for 50 milligrams and 100 milligrams of the B vitamins. Each B vitamin plays an important role in the function of the body.
One of the most important B vitamins is B12. The Mayo clinic states Vitamin B12 is an essential water-soluble vitamin that is commonly found in a variety of foods such as fish, shellfish, meat, and dairy products. Vitamin B12 is frequently used in combination with other B vitamins in a vitamin B complex formulation. It helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells and is also needed to make DNA, the genetic material in all cells.
A recent study in Neurology (Vogiatzoglou A, et al. Neurology. September 9, 2008; Vol. 71, Iss. 11, pp. 826-832) concluded that low vitamin B12 status should be further investigated as a modifiable cause of brain atrophy and of likely subsequent cognitive impairment in the elderly. In other words, vitamin B12 plays an important role in the mental ability of the elderly.
So if you have to choose just one vitamin group, I highly recommend the B vitamins. And, if you are not losing your shirt in this economy, the best advice about vitamins and supplements I can give is that you should consider being evaluated by a certified nutritionist to determine your needs.
Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
http://www.drmichaelkaye.com/
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Boomers and Retirement
As I write this blog, I am aware that many baby boomers may be contemplating retirement.
Last week I attended a seminar hosted by the National Speakers Association. Dr. Alan Zimmerman, who presented the seminar, shared statistics regarding death after retirement. I am sure many of you have heard that it is not uncommon for death to follow fairly closely after retirement, especially in men.
How many times have you heard the story of some person who worked most of his life, then retired and died within a few months? I don’t want that to be me.
To be honest with you, I don’t even think about retirement. It’s not that I don’t want free time; it’s that I think I would be bored to death. If I don’t have something to do, I think I will go bonkers! And I think that’s what happens — people get bored. Unfortunately for many the only thing that they have to do is work.
That’s why I don’t think of retiring. I often think about how I can earn more money and secure my finances as I get older. To be honest, securing your finances (keeping what you saved) is directly correlated to your health.
In my opinion, retirement is more difficult for males. Most men are defined by their work. They feel valued by “bringing home the bacon.” And when work is over (retirement), they feel less valuable and this feeling of lack leads or contributes to their decline.
What is one to do?
If you retire, retire into your passion. Retire into what you love. Start discovering and creating your passion now so that if and when you decide to retire, you will have something to do. Hopefully your passion will require being surrounded by people. Many studies demonstrate that people live longer when they are surrounded by others.
As boomers think about retirement, it is important to prepare by staying healthy. Stay healthy to feel and look better. Stay healthy to enjoy and keep your wealth. Stay healthy to find your passion.
Dr. Michael Kaye
www.drmichaelkaye.com
Last week I attended a seminar hosted by the National Speakers Association. Dr. Alan Zimmerman, who presented the seminar, shared statistics regarding death after retirement. I am sure many of you have heard that it is not uncommon for death to follow fairly closely after retirement, especially in men.
How many times have you heard the story of some person who worked most of his life, then retired and died within a few months? I don’t want that to be me.
To be honest with you, I don’t even think about retirement. It’s not that I don’t want free time; it’s that I think I would be bored to death. If I don’t have something to do, I think I will go bonkers! And I think that’s what happens — people get bored. Unfortunately for many the only thing that they have to do is work.
That’s why I don’t think of retiring. I often think about how I can earn more money and secure my finances as I get older. To be honest, securing your finances (keeping what you saved) is directly correlated to your health.
In my opinion, retirement is more difficult for males. Most men are defined by their work. They feel valued by “bringing home the bacon.” And when work is over (retirement), they feel less valuable and this feeling of lack leads or contributes to their decline.
What is one to do?
If you retire, retire into your passion. Retire into what you love. Start discovering and creating your passion now so that if and when you decide to retire, you will have something to do. Hopefully your passion will require being surrounded by people. Many studies demonstrate that people live longer when they are surrounded by others.
As boomers think about retirement, it is important to prepare by staying healthy. Stay healthy to feel and look better. Stay healthy to enjoy and keep your wealth. Stay healthy to find your passion.
Dr. Michael Kaye
www.drmichaelkaye.com
Monday, September 8, 2008
Investing in You
Over the weekend I was sitting around with a bunch of my friends at a picnic.
When I am at a party, at least one of my friends usually pulls me aside.
“Hey, Mike, I was wondering if you can take a look at something for me. I hurt my shoulder about a week ago and the pain won’t go away.”
“Did you do anything about it?” I asked.
“I took some Advil, but it really didn’t help”, he said.
I evaluated his shoulder and arrived at a working diagnosis of a rotator cuff tear. I told my friend that he would most likely need to have treatment for two to four weeks and that he should determine which provider and what facility are covered by his insurance.
He complained that his co-pay is $40 for every visit and he questioned why there isn’t a pill he can take to fix his problem. I told him there is medicine to block the pain, but the medicine won’t fix the problem.
He is in the contracting business. He works with his body every day. If he doesn’t get his shoulder repaired, he may do further damage and, more importantly, may not even be able to do the type of work he does.
“Okay”, I say. “Let’s put it this way. At $40 per visit with a typical treatment parameter of 6 to 12 visits, you can expect to pay out $240 to $480. How much are you worth? “
He replied, “That’s a lot of money.” I reminded him that if he can’t return to work or if he loses his job, he would be out way more than $480. Fortunately, he listened and invested his money in some treatment. He lucked out as he felt much better after only eight visits.
So my question to you is: How much are you willing to invest in yourself?
Are you willing to purchase healthier foods, go to the doctor when necessary, pay for a gym membership, or purchase a new piece of exercise equipment?
Investing is not just about money.
Are you willing to invest in your education, possibly returning to school to get a degree or a certificate?
Are you willing to invest in motivational seminars and materials?
Are you willing to invest in working with a wellness coach or a personal trainer?
Are you willing to invest in your time and learn a new hobby?
As a society we have a tendency to spend money on products or things that provide immediate gratification as opposed to investing our time or finances in something that will produce a great return on that investment.
Think of it this way. You are willing to save money each week or each paycheck towards your savings /retirement (or at least I hope you are). What are you willing to invest in yourself each week?
The greatest investment is YOU!
To Your Health, Wealth & Happiness!
Dr. Michael J. Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
To learn more about my e-book please log onto http://tinyurl.com/2hqf44
When I am at a party, at least one of my friends usually pulls me aside.
“Hey, Mike, I was wondering if you can take a look at something for me. I hurt my shoulder about a week ago and the pain won’t go away.”
“Did you do anything about it?” I asked.
“I took some Advil, but it really didn’t help”, he said.
I evaluated his shoulder and arrived at a working diagnosis of a rotator cuff tear. I told my friend that he would most likely need to have treatment for two to four weeks and that he should determine which provider and what facility are covered by his insurance.
He complained that his co-pay is $40 for every visit and he questioned why there isn’t a pill he can take to fix his problem. I told him there is medicine to block the pain, but the medicine won’t fix the problem.
He is in the contracting business. He works with his body every day. If he doesn’t get his shoulder repaired, he may do further damage and, more importantly, may not even be able to do the type of work he does.
“Okay”, I say. “Let’s put it this way. At $40 per visit with a typical treatment parameter of 6 to 12 visits, you can expect to pay out $240 to $480. How much are you worth? “
He replied, “That’s a lot of money.” I reminded him that if he can’t return to work or if he loses his job, he would be out way more than $480. Fortunately, he listened and invested his money in some treatment. He lucked out as he felt much better after only eight visits.
So my question to you is: How much are you willing to invest in yourself?
Are you willing to purchase healthier foods, go to the doctor when necessary, pay for a gym membership, or purchase a new piece of exercise equipment?
Investing is not just about money.
Are you willing to invest in your education, possibly returning to school to get a degree or a certificate?
Are you willing to invest in motivational seminars and materials?
Are you willing to invest in working with a wellness coach or a personal trainer?
Are you willing to invest in your time and learn a new hobby?
As a society we have a tendency to spend money on products or things that provide immediate gratification as opposed to investing our time or finances in something that will produce a great return on that investment.
Think of it this way. You are willing to save money each week or each paycheck towards your savings /retirement (or at least I hope you are). What are you willing to invest in yourself each week?
The greatest investment is YOU!
To Your Health, Wealth & Happiness!
Dr. Michael J. Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
To learn more about my e-book please log onto http://tinyurl.com/2hqf44
Monday, August 4, 2008
Eating Can Be Confusing
It’s time to talk again about the difference between dieting to lose weight and eating right to live a longer, pain-free, and healthy life.
The “diet” consists of following a plan that usually results in weight loss. That weight loss, however, is often short-term. In other words, when you go back to your normal eating habits, you gain the weight back. The latest craze in diets (there will always be a “latest craze” to try) might be a pill to help you lose weight or a diet system promoted by late night infomercials. Often these diets are also unhealthy.
I have never been a big fan of following a diet. Many people feel they can just purchase diet foods and all will be well. Unfortunately, these diet foods (usually found in a box, can or wrapper) often contain ingredients that are not healthy for you; examples are partially hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, sodium in excess of recommended allowances, and a host of other ingredients that sound like things from your tenth-grade chemistry class. That being said, some of the popular weight loss systems such as Weight Watchers do provide a wonderful foundation towards a healthier lifestyle.
Knowing what to eat or which diet system to follow can be very confusing, especially if you listen to all the experts, authors, infomercials, and the guy down at the gym.
The New England Journal of Medicine recently published an article comparing three diets: low-fat, restricted-calorie; Mediterranean, restricted-calorie; and low-carbohydrate, non-restricted calorie. Interestingly enough, the weight loss was minimal on all three diets over a period of two years. The groups participating in the low-carbohydrate diet did the best since their markers for levels of elevated inflammation improved (i.e. they had less inflammation in the body), their triglycerides were lowered, and HDL levels (the good cholesterol) were increased.
Therefore one should eat foods that are low in carbohydrates. In other words, avoid pastas, rice, breads, cookies, and cakes. Your carbohydrates should come from vegetables, fruit and limited grains. Center your eating on higher levels of protein and consume less carbohydrates and fats. Fats should come from olive oils, nuts, and avocados instead of from low quality (fast-food) red meat, chicken, fish, fried foods, etc. Personally, I have not eaten red meat for over 20 years now. I believe that eating red meat/animal meat is fine, but one should consider eating a higher quality of animal meat such as organic, free-range, or naturally grown.
When I evaluate a client who has hired me to coach him or her towards a healthier life, I consider genetic predisposition (what does or did mom, dad, grandpa, and grandma suffer with and how long did they live?), age, current health status, and future health goals. I look at levels of iron, Vitamin D, Vitamins B6 and B12, and C-Reactive Protein (the marker for inflammation) as determined by blood work. I make recommendations based on this information to help the client achieve an optimum nutritional lifestyle.
If you are considering (and I hope you are) embracing a nutritional lifestyle system to create a healthier life, think higher protein, lower carbohydrates, and good fats. Think quality and portion control. And don’t forget that exercise is an important part of a nutritional and healthy lifestyle.
Take care of yourself and if you would like to learn more about my Nutritional Lifestyle Coaching, please feel free to e-mail me at Michael@frompaintopersonalgain.com.
To your Health, Wealth & Happiness!
Dr. Michael J. Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
P.S. To learn more on how to create a life of health, wealth, and happiness log on to http://tinyurl.com/2hqf44
The “diet” consists of following a plan that usually results in weight loss. That weight loss, however, is often short-term. In other words, when you go back to your normal eating habits, you gain the weight back. The latest craze in diets (there will always be a “latest craze” to try) might be a pill to help you lose weight or a diet system promoted by late night infomercials. Often these diets are also unhealthy.
I have never been a big fan of following a diet. Many people feel they can just purchase diet foods and all will be well. Unfortunately, these diet foods (usually found in a box, can or wrapper) often contain ingredients that are not healthy for you; examples are partially hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, sodium in excess of recommended allowances, and a host of other ingredients that sound like things from your tenth-grade chemistry class. That being said, some of the popular weight loss systems such as Weight Watchers do provide a wonderful foundation towards a healthier lifestyle.
Knowing what to eat or which diet system to follow can be very confusing, especially if you listen to all the experts, authors, infomercials, and the guy down at the gym.
The New England Journal of Medicine recently published an article comparing three diets: low-fat, restricted-calorie; Mediterranean, restricted-calorie; and low-carbohydrate, non-restricted calorie. Interestingly enough, the weight loss was minimal on all three diets over a period of two years. The groups participating in the low-carbohydrate diet did the best since their markers for levels of elevated inflammation improved (i.e. they had less inflammation in the body), their triglycerides were lowered, and HDL levels (the good cholesterol) were increased.
Therefore one should eat foods that are low in carbohydrates. In other words, avoid pastas, rice, breads, cookies, and cakes. Your carbohydrates should come from vegetables, fruit and limited grains. Center your eating on higher levels of protein and consume less carbohydrates and fats. Fats should come from olive oils, nuts, and avocados instead of from low quality (fast-food) red meat, chicken, fish, fried foods, etc. Personally, I have not eaten red meat for over 20 years now. I believe that eating red meat/animal meat is fine, but one should consider eating a higher quality of animal meat such as organic, free-range, or naturally grown.
When I evaluate a client who has hired me to coach him or her towards a healthier life, I consider genetic predisposition (what does or did mom, dad, grandpa, and grandma suffer with and how long did they live?), age, current health status, and future health goals. I look at levels of iron, Vitamin D, Vitamins B6 and B12, and C-Reactive Protein (the marker for inflammation) as determined by blood work. I make recommendations based on this information to help the client achieve an optimum nutritional lifestyle.
If you are considering (and I hope you are) embracing a nutritional lifestyle system to create a healthier life, think higher protein, lower carbohydrates, and good fats. Think quality and portion control. And don’t forget that exercise is an important part of a nutritional and healthy lifestyle.
Take care of yourself and if you would like to learn more about my Nutritional Lifestyle Coaching, please feel free to e-mail me at Michael@frompaintopersonalgain.com.
To your Health, Wealth & Happiness!
Dr. Michael J. Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
P.S. To learn more on how to create a life of health, wealth, and happiness log on to http://tinyurl.com/2hqf44
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