Dr. Jonny Bowden

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  • Breaking Bad Habits: Three Easy Steps

    Breaking Bad Habits: Three Easy Steps

    Guest article by Karen Keller, PhD

    There are a number of things to quit: Smoking, overeating, fibbing, ignoring reality, gossiping, over-working … just to name a few.  When facing your bad habits, it’s your drive to succeed that keeps you from their clenches. It’s these bad habits that affect your satisfaction and fulfillment.

    You recognize your unhealthy habit but something compels you to stick with it.  What makes it hard to quit?  Well, habitual behavior changes the neuron activity patterns in your brain where habits are formed.  The good news is you can form new habits!  The bad news is when a stimulus, (calorie-laden chocolate cake) from the old days returns, the latent neuron pattern reestablishes itself – making you almost go on autopilot!

    Because the brain retains the ‘habit’ memory, it can be triggered if the right cues come back.  It takes 21 days to create a new habit.  In order to make that change it’s important to watch out for the triggers that encourage the old habits to return.  But there are 3 things you can do to erase those habits:

    1. Give yourself permission to ignore the bad habit.  You are quite capable of knowing when you are out of control, stuck or causing yourself a problem.  Leaving your decisions to another person, or trigger, only serves to dis-empower yourself resulting in low self esteem.  Empower yourself.  Set your course for making change.  Go for the 21 day challenge – invite a healthy habit into your life.
    2. Break out from your comfort zone.  Take a risk to stop avoiding risk – things that may be uncomfortable.  What opportunities are you missing by being afraid of venturing into the unknown?  Make a list of ten ‘bad-habit-breaking’ or ‘good-for-you’ things you have backed away from this past year.  Develop a plan to approach the top 3 on your list – vowing to successfully make your way through them.  Let yourself experience the unfamiliar, getting acquainted with your own sense of courage.
    3. Know when to leave good enough alone.  Leave that last bit of juicy gossip on the tip of your tongue.  Put aside the dessert menu.  And when you are hitting your head against the wall constantly trying for the next promotion, that seems to somehow land in everyone else’s lap, giving it all you have, and coming up empty handed, then it’s time to leave. The habit of accepting not being valued or appreciated falls under the umbrella of ‘bad habit.’  Exit with your head held high.  Knowing when to quit is the first step toward finding what’s worthy of your time and talent.

    Sometimes it’s not a bad thing to be a ‘quitter’.  The tough part is recognizing you’re committing a destructive behavior and then take that next crucial step to actually break the cycle and quit whatever habit is causing the self destruction.

    You CAN teach an old dog new tricks if you just take the time to unlearn an habitual behavior.

    Influence and persuasion expert, Karen Keller, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and Master Certified Coach with over 25 years of experience. She focuses on women’s leadership and empowerment as well as executive, personal, relationship and life coaching. Get a free subscription to her newsletter, “Influence It! Real Power for Women Now” at karen-keller.com

  • “Should I Eat Before I Exercise?”

    “Should I Eat Before I Exercise?”

    For as long as I can remember- from the first time I set foot in a gym, actually- I’ve been listening to folks debate the question…

    “Should I eat before I exercise?”

    Now a new study may finally shine some light on the matter. Researchers found that exercising on an empty stomach has several beneficial effects, including preventing weight gain and maintaining insulin sensitivity.

    Researchers in Belgium took 27 healthy young men and fed them all a horrible diet, high in sugar and fat and calories. The particular diet was chosen because it was just about guaranteed to create both weight gain and a reduction in insulin sensitivity.

    Insulin sensitivity, you may remember, is something good- it’s when the cells respond well to insulin, meaning that insulin does an excellent job of removing excess sugar from the bloodstream and getting it into the cells where it can be “burned” for energy. When someone is said to be insulin resistant on the other hand, this system doesn’t work well, and the person winds up with high blood sugar and high insulin and is on the path to either metabolic syndrome or diabetes. Most diabetics are insulin resistant, and most people who are insulin resistant are overweight, since insulin “shuts down” the fat burning process.

    In the Belgian study, the researchers divided the men into three groups:

    1. One group did nothing but eat the terrible diet (the control group). This group didn’t exercise at all during the study.
    2. The second and third group did exercise, and did the exact same workout;
    3. but the second group did it after breakfast and the third group did it before breakfast, exercising on an empty stomach.

    The results were both surprising and dramatic.

    The control group- not surprisingly- gained a lot of weight and also saw their insulin sensitivity plunge (meaning they became much more insulin resistant). The “exercise after eating” group also gained weight, but not nearly as much as the control group. And their insulin sensitivity went down, just as it did in the control group.

    But the “exercising on an empty stomach” group was a whole different story. This group- despite eating a perfectly horrible, weight-gain inducing diet- did not gain weight. Not only that, their insulin sensitivity remained high and the bad diet did not make them insulin resistant. “This study for the first time shows that fasted (empty stomach) training is more potent than fed training to facilitate adaptations in muscle and to improve…. glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity…” said the study’s authors.

    Conventional wisdom- which is not always so wise—has held that it’s always best to eat something before working out. Proponents of this way of thinking would always point out that you need “energy” for working out, energy which comes from—what else?—carbohydrates. “Fat burns in a flame of carbohydrate” they’d proclaim solemnly.

    Problem is, the conventional wisdom is wrong.

    It’s interesting that back in the days of “Stay Hungry” and “Pumping Iron” when the big meccas of bodybuilding like World Gym and Gold’s Gym in Venice were home to such legendary bodybuilders as Arnold Schwarzenneger, Lou Ferrigno and Franco Columbo, everybody exercised on an empty stomach. Bodybuilders of that era believed that you were more likely to mobilize your fat stores for fuel if you didn’t have to burn off a whole bunch of carbs that you just scarfed down for breakfast.

    We now know that they were mostly right.

    So should you forgo eating before working out? Not necessarily. “If you’re interested in performing better- like if you’re training for an event—you might want to eat first”, says my friend exercise physiologist Liz Neporent, MS, CSCS, author of “Fitness for Dummies”. “But for weight loss, evidence does seem to be trending towards not eating before working out”.

    Neporent points out that as a practical matter, there are going to be a fair amount of people who don’t do well when they don’t eat before working out. “They get dizzy, sick, and even faint sometimes”, she told me. “But I’ve also had people eat right before working out that have felt exactly the same way!”

    Bottom line, it’s going to be- like everything else- an individual thing and no one prescription is going to work for everyone.

    But for those who want to try it- and who don’t get lightheaded or dizzy- exercising on an empty stomach might be just the thing to stop weight gain in its tracks. It did in the Belgian study, and those folks were purposely eating a really bad diet. It should work even better if you also couple it with a diet designed to help you reach your goals.

    Watch this funny little video where I reveal my 5 favorite fat burning snacks that won’t trigger a high insulin response.

  • New Research: Omega-3’s Improve Your Mood!

    New Research: Omega-3’s Improve Your Mood!

    Omega-3s Show New Benefit for Mood Health
    by Craig Weatherby

    Encouraging animal research from France supports evidence that omega-3 fatty acids play a key role in mood health … and expands our grasp on how they work in the brain.

    French scientists tested the effects of feeding mice a diet that was relatively low in omega-3 fatty acids and high in the omega-6 fatty acids that predominate in most  vegetable oils (Lafourcade M et al. 2011).

    As they said in a press release, this imbalanced fat intake “had deleterious consequences on synaptic functions and emotional behaviors.”  (INSERM 2011)

    In other words, it messed with brain systems and chemicals that maintain mood.

    As our readers know, the average American’s diet suffers from the same kind of “omega-imbalance”, which is associated with major health conditions from cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis to depression and dementia.

    The average American’s diet is grossly imbalanced in favor of omega-6 fats, primarily from the vegetable oils most commonly used in homes and in packaged or prepared foods (corn, canola, soy, safflower, sunflower). Omega-6s also abound in soy milk, poultry, and factory farmed red meats.

    Olive oil, macadamia nut oil, and special “hi-oleic” safflower and sunflower oils are the only oils low in omega-6s.

    Most researchers estimate that Americans consume 20 to 40 times as much omega-6 as omega-3 fatty acids … when we should be eating the two types in roughly equal amounts, consuming no more than three grams of omega-6 fats for every gram of omega-3 fats.

    This extreme imbalance reduces the amounts of omega-3s that can get into our cells … a “blocking” effect that has broad, deep health implications for brain and overall health.

    French study finds omega-3s affect key mood-related systems

    Prior animal research showed that omega-3s foster growth of cells in the brain’s hippocampus region and promote connections between those cells … an effect associated with reduced depression risk and symptom severity (Venna VR et al. 2008).

    And clinical findings by NIH psychiatrist Joe Hibbeln, M.D., show that people with higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids have more serotonin and dopamine – two key mood-related neurotransmitters – in their spinal fluid (Hibbeln JR et al. 1998).

    Now, findings from INSERM – France’s equivalent to the U.S. National Institutes of Health – add another reason why omega-3s and the omega balance matter to mood (Lafourcade M et al. 2011).

    A team led by Drs. Olivier Manzoni and Sophie Layé wanted to test the idea that feeding mice an omega-imbalanced diet starting before birth would influence brain systems involved in depression and anxiety.

    The INSERM team fed mice a life-long diet imbalanced in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

    They found that the resulting shortage of omega-3s and overload of omega-6 fats disturbed communication between brain cells (neurons).

    Critically, this was the first research to show the omega-imbalanced diet virtually shut down their brain cells’ CB1R cannabinoid receptors, which play a key role in between-cell communications (i.e., neurotransmission).

    And the “neuronal dysfunction” induced by an omega-imbalanced diet was accompanied by depressive behaviors among the mice.

    Among omega-3 deficient mice, the usual effects produced by cannabinoid receptor activation disappeared, along with the critical antioxidant effects exerted by the brain’s cannabinoid compounds.

    The researchers discovered that the omega-3 deficient diet impaired synaptic plasticity – the ability to form new connections in the brain – in at least two areas (prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens) involved in reward, motivation, and emotional regulation.

    These parts of the brain contain a large number of CB1R cannabinoid receptors and have important functional connections with each other.

    Drs. Manzoni and Layé noted that their results “… corroborate clinical and epidemiological studies which have revealed associations between an omega-3/omega-6 imbalance and mood disorders.” (INSERM 2011)

    Critically, these findings provide another biological explanation for the statistical associations repeatedly found between diets low in omega-3s – which are now common, worldwide – and mood disorders such as depression.

    Human evidence supports omega-3s’ hypothetical mood-regulation role

    Five years ago, the American Psychiatric Association concluded that people who consume higher amounts of omega-3s from fish (EPA and DHA) enjoy lower risks of depression and related mood disorders (Freeman MP et al. 2006).

    Then, two years ago, the results of the largest-ever clinical trial found that omega-3 fish oil significantly benefited the half of clinically depressed participants who did not also have a diagnosed anxiety disorder (Lesperance F et al 2009).

    In fact, fish oil appeared to help these people about as much as the leading class of antidepressant drugs … selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Prozac and Paxil.

    Craig Weatherby is a health journalist and the author of  “The Arthritis Bible”. His excellent reporting can be found in the newsletter of Vital Choice, my favorite source for wild fish caught in pristine waters. Try the Vital Choice Dr. Jonny Healthiest Foods Package!

    Sources

    • Freeman MP, Hibbeln JR, Wisner KL, Davis JM, Mischoulon D, Peet M, Keck PE Jr, Marangell LB, Richardson AJ, Lake J, Stoll AL. Omega-3 fatty acids: evidence basis for treatment and future research in psychiatry. J Clin Psychiatry. 2006 Dec;67(12):1954-67. Review.
    • Hibbeln JR, Linnoila M, Umhau JC, Rawlings R, George DT, Salem N Jr. Essential fatty acids predict metabolites of serotonin and dopamine in cerebrospinal fluid among healthy control subjects, and early- and late-onset alcoholics. Biol Psychiatry 1998; 44: 235-242.
    • INSERM (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale). A deficiency of dietary omega-3 may explain depressive behaviors. January 30, 2011. Accessed at   http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-01/ind-ado012811.php
    • Lafourcade M, Larrieu T, Mato S, Duffaud A, Sepers M, Matias I, De Smedt-Peyrusse V, Labrousse VF, Bretillon L, Matute C, Rodríguez-Puertas R, Layé S, Manzoni OJ. Nutritional omega-3 deficiency abolishes endocannabinoid-mediated neuronal functions. Nat Neurosci. 2011 Jan 30. [Epub ahead of print]
    • Lesperance F et al. The efficacy of eicosapentaenoic acid for major depression: Results of the OMEGA-3D trial. 9th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry: Abstract FC-25-005. Presented July 1, 2009. Accessed at http://www.wfsbp-congress.org/fileadmin/user_upload/WFSBP_Final_Programme_090625.pdf
    • Nemets B, Stahl Z, Belmaker RH. Addition of omega-3 fatty acid to maintenance medication treatment for recurrent unipolar depressive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2002; 159(3): 477-479.
    • Owen C, Rees AM, Parker G. The role of fatty acids in the development and treatment of mood disorders. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2008 Jan; 21(1): 19-24.
    • Peet M, Horrobin DF. A dose-ranging study of the effects of ethyl-eicosapentaenoate in patients with ongoing depression despite apparently adequate treatment with standard drugs. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2002; 59(10): 913-919.
    • Sahay A, Hen R. Hippocampal neurogenesis and depression. Novartis Found Symp. 2008; 289: 152-60; discussion 160-4, 193-5.
    • Santarelli L, Saxe M, Gross C, Surget A, Battaglia F, Dulawa S, Weisstaub N, Lee J, Duman R, Arancio O, Belzung C, Hen R. Requirement of hippocampal neurogenesis for the behavioral effects of antidepressants. Science. 2003 Aug 8; 301(5634): 805-9.
    • Venna VR, Deplanque D, Allet C, Belarbi K, Hamdane M, Bordet R. PUFA induce antidepressant-like effects in parallel to structural and molecular changes in the hippocampus. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Feb; 34(2): 199-211. Epub 2008 Oct 10.
  • Eat Chocolate for Heart Health

    Eat Chocolate for Heart Health

    A study from Harvard examined the chocolate-eating habits of over 31,000 Swedish women and concluded that women who consumed an average of one to two servings of high-quality chocolate per week were at 32% lower risk of developing heart failure. Those who ate one to three servings per month had a 26% lower risk.

    Which ain’t bad.

    But the benefit—at least in this study– disappeared when the women ate a lot more. While 20-30 grams a month of chocolate per month reduced the risk of heart failure, more chocolate than that (one to two servings a week) and the benefit disappeared, while much more than that (three to six servings a week) and the risk actually increased by 23%.

    “At least for women, consumption of chocolate seems to be associated with a decreased risk of heart failure, but the protective effect was only seen with relatively small amounts of consumption, less than one serving a day,” said senior study author Dr. Murray Mittleman. “With higher levels, the benefit appears to be lost and perhaps even [have] a detrimental effect.”

    However a study earlier in the year- the largest one to examine the association between chocolate consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease- found a protective effect at much greater intakes. In that study, individuals consuming 7.5 grams per day (about one square) had a 39% lower risk of heart attack and stroke than individuals who ate almost no chocolate.

    Other studies have examined the effect of high-cocoa chocolate on blood pressure (it lowers it) but the Harvard study is the first to examine the relationship of chocolate to heart failure (also called congestive heart failure), a condition in which the heart is unable to pump blood sufficiently to the rest of the body.

    (Much research has shown that Coenzyme Q10 can be helpful to people with congestive heart failure. The heart needs a constant supply of ATP, the energy molecule needed so badly by the heart, and ATP can’t be produced without Coenzyme Q10.)

    Back to cocoa. Plant compounds in cocoa called flavanols help modulate a compound called nitric oxide, which is critical for healthy blood flow and healthy blood pressure. In one Italian study, dark chocolate was shown to lower blood pressure, and the reason may well be that flavanol-rich coca actually supports the body’s ability to synthesize nitric oxide.

    So go ahead and enjoy chocolate on this day which was almost meant to celebrate it. Just be sure you choose “high-cocoa” dark chocolate. The higher the cocoa content the more good stuff is in it (but the more bitter it tastes). Look for 60- or 70-percent cocoa which should provide all the flavanols you need plus taste as sweet and delicious as you expect chocolate to taste.

    And until the research on eating chocolate for heart health gets a little clearer on the “perfect” dose, stick with a square or so a day (or every other day).

  • Raw Chocolate Fondue Recipe

    Raw Chocolate Fondue Recipe

    This raw chocolate fondue recipe is from the book, “The Healthiest Meals on Earth” by myself and my co-author, chef extraordinaire Jeannette Bessinger. Enjoy!

    Prep Time: 10 minutes

    Cook Time: None

    Ingredients:

    • 1 very ripe, soft banana, peeled
    • ¼ cup almond butter
    • ¼ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
    • 2 teaspoons agave nectar (or other sweetener like Xylitol)
    • 3 tablespoons raw cacao or high quality cocoa powder
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
    • ½ teaspoon orange extract, optional
    • ½ teaspoon gourmet salt, optional
    • ½ vanilla bean (open pod and scrape the seeds into the mix), optional
    • 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier, optional
    • 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed, stemmed and halved
    • 2 ripe kiwifruits, peeled and cut into chunks or thick half-rounds
    • 1 mango, peeled and cubed
    • 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted

    Directions:

    In a blender, place the banana, almond butter, almond milk, agave nectar (or sweetener of your choice) and cocoa and blend well until the mixture forms a smooth cream. You can serve it as is or add any one of the following optional ingredients and lightly blend or stir in well: Cinnamon, orange extract, salt, vanilla, or Grand Marnier. Scrape the fondue into an attractive serving dish. Arrange the strawberries, kiwi, mango and cherries or any other cubed fruit you like, in bowls with accompanying toothpicks or fondue forks for dipping, and serve.

    Your Valentine will love this raw chocolate fondue recipe.

    Yield: About 6 servings (makes 1 cup of fondue)

  • Featured Recipe: Crunchy Apple Baked Beans

    Featured Recipe: Crunchy Apple Baked Beans

    The following recipe is just for readers of this newsletter, “In Step With Jonny”—it’s an advance preview of our forthcoming book, “The Live Longer Cookbook” by myself and my co-author, chef extraordinaire Jeannette Bessinger. Enjoy!

    Crunchy Apple Baked Beans

    From Dr. Jonny: So I have to tell you my personal story about beans: I frequently have them for breakfast. Call me crazy, I know. But the thing is, nothing really keeps your blood sugar even like beans, and they satisfy for hours. (Sometimes I have them as a side dish with my eggs.)

    But enough about me and beans. According to nutrition experts at Michigan State University, who reviewed 25 years of research involving beans and various health issues, beans are a powerful food to improve overall health and specifically to prevent heart disease. “Scientific evidence proves that increasing bean consumption will lower your risk”, said lead researcher Maurice Bennink, PhD. And just for good measure, recent research showed that women in the famous Nurses’ Health Study who ate four or more servings of legumes a week were 33% less likely to develop colorectal ademonas, a non-cancerous tumor that can progress into colon cancer.

    The thing I love about this particular recipe is the apple flavor- which you’d never expect in a bean dish but makes it sweet and spicy at the same time. In addition to breakfast, this is really satisfying on a cold night!—Dr. Jonny

    Crunchy Apple Baked Beans

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cup dried pinto beans, picked over and soaked overnight, drained
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 1 small yellow onion, diced
    • ½ cup dried apple, pulsed in food processor to the size of large raisins
    • 3 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
    • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
    • ½-3/4 teaspoon cayenne or chipotle pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
    • ½ teaspoon epazote, optional yo hlp with bean digestibility
    • 2 cups apple cider (also good with hard cider!)
    • 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
    • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste

    Directions:

    1. In large heavy-bottom pot, heat oil over medium burner and sauté onion for 4 minutes.
    2. Add beans, apple, molasses, mustard, cayenne, liquid smoke, epazote, cider and broth, stirring to combine.
    3. Increase heat and bring to a simmer.
    4. Lower heat to maintain a low simmer, cover and cook for 90 minutes to 2 hours or until beans are tender.
    5. After first 45 minutes, stir and check liquid level every 30 minutes or so, adding additional broth if necessary.
    6. Add salt to taste at end of cooking time.

    Yield: about 8 cups


  • Vegetables and Fruits Lower Risk of Dying by 22%

    Vegetables and Fruits Lower Risk of Dying by 22%

    One of the largest studies of links between diet and heart disease was recently completed. The results were very clear: people who consume more fruits and vegetables have a lower risk of dying from heart disease.

    Most readers already suspected that. But what makes this study great is that it shows exactly how many fruit and vegetables you need and exactly the degree of protection against heart disease you’ll get for your efforts.

    The study—known as EPIC, or European Prospective investigation into Cancer and Nutrition– showed that people who ate at least eight 3-ounce portions of fruit and vegetables a day had a 22% lower risk of dying from heart disease than did those who consumed fewer than three portions. (A portion is roughly equivalent to a small banana, a medium apple, or a carrot.

    According to the lead researcher, Dr. Francesca Crowe, every additional portion of fruit or vegetables above 2 a day reduced your risk of dying from heart disease by 4%.

    Each and every portion.

    (A related study found that every two servings of total fruits and veggies also reduces the incidence of cancer by 4%.)

    Think about that for a sec. If there was a pill with no side effects that you could pop a bunch of times a day and every time you took one your risk for dying dropped 4% would you take it?

    In this study—which by the way included 300,000 people in eight different European countries—a person who ate 3 portions a day of veggies or fruits was 4% less likely to die over the course of the study than someone who ate 2 portions; and those 4%’s keep adding up, all the way up to 8 portions a day.

    The researchers found that the average intake of fruit and vegetables was five portions a day; people in Greece, Italy and Spain ate more, and those in Sweden ate less.

    That means, if you’re consuming five a day, you could lower your risk of dying from heart disease a hefty 12% more just by adding three more servings of vegetables a day. (And those are small servings we’re talking about!)

    Sir Michael Marmot head of the UCL Department of Epidemiology and Public Health writes “There would need to be big shift in dietary patterns to achieve this healthy consumption of eight portions a day. It is worth trying to move in that direction.”

  • Preventing Kidney Stones

    I’ve never had kidney stones, but I’ve heard people describe the pain of passing them as akin to pulling your upper lip over the back of your head. (Or maybe that was a description of childbirth.) In any case, no one I know who’s ever had them is eager to repeat the experience.

    Kidney stones are hard masses that can grow from crystals forming within the kidneys. Women sometimes get them, but they’re much more common in men. About three-quarters of the stones are made out of calcium oxalate.  (Uric acid stones are most commonly found in gout.)

    Oxalate is an organic salt, but when combined with calcium it produces an insoluble mass called calcium-oxalate which is the most common chemical compound found in kidney stones. Urinary oxalate is the single strongest predictor of kidney stone formation- the higher the urinary oxalate, the greater the risk of oxalate kidney stones.

    So anything that helps reduce urinary oxalate would help reduce the risk of kidney stones, right?

    Exactly. And that’s the finding of a recent and important study in which supplementation with 900 mg EPA and 600 mg DHA, for a period of 30 days lowered the urinary oxalate by 23%, thus effectively decreasing, by a significant amount,  the risk of calcium oxalate formation.

    Because 75 percent of kidney stones are formed from oxalates, you’ll want to avoid or at least reduce your consumption of foods that are high in oxalates: nuts, tea, chocolate, beets, rhubarb, and wheat bran are all on the list. Phosphate-based soft drinks are also a big problem for stone formers. A study in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology examined 1,009 male patients and found that the guys who consumed the largest quantities of phosphate-based sodas had the highest rate of stone recurrence.

    Two other things you can you do to help prevent another excruciatingly painful stone from ever forming again is to take magnesium and start  drinking a ton of water. Water will make calcium oxalate more soluble and a lot less likely to form crystals. Water and lemon juice may help as well, since a half cup of lemon juice a day will raise citrate levels, which can help fight stone formation. (Soda, on the other hand, does the opposite.) And research shows that grapefruit juice raises the risk of stones by as much as 44 percent, so if you’re prone to stone formation, avoid it. Ditto with salt.

    The Magic of Magnesium

    According to Alan Gaby, M.D., author of the textbook “Nutritional Medicine”, research “strongly suggests that supplementing with modest doses of magnesium and vitamin B6 can greatly reduce the recurrence rate of calcium oxalate kidney stones.” In one study, 149 patients with long-standing stones received 100 mg of a cheap form of magnesium (magnesium oxide) three times a day, equal to 180 mg per day of elemental magnesium. They also received 10 mg of  vitamin B6 once a day at the same time.

    Would you like to know what happened?

    The mean rate of stone formation dropped by 92.3 percent.

    Another study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition showed that supplementing with 500 mg of magnesium a day (even without the B6) dropped stone formation by 90 percent.

    “Unfortunately, many doctors remain unaware of this simple, safe, effective, and inexpensive treatment for recurrent kidney stones,” Gaby says.

    5 Easy Steps for Preventing Kidney Stones

    If you really want to reduce the risk of stone formation, follow these five easy steps for preventing kidney stones:

    1. Drink a ton of water. Every day
    2. Throw out your soda
    3. Take Fish Oil  daily: about 1.5 grams of combined EPA-DHA (the amount used in the study mentioned above)
    4. Take 400-800 mg of magnesium (preferably with at least 10mg of vitamin B6)
    5. Reduce or monitor your consumption of high-oxalate foods
    6. Avoid grapefruit juice
    7. Reduce salt
  • “Eat Every Three Hours”: Oh, Really?

    “Eat Every Three Hours”: Oh, Really?

    On a recent blog I talked about a popular tactic advocated by many personal trainers called “The Cheat Day”. As I explained on last weeks blog, the “cheat day” is a “day off” from your weekly diet, a day on which you can eat anything you like.

    Trainers who advocate this are clearly attempting to come up with a real-life weight-loss plan that works for their clients, and–as I pointed out last week– it may in fact work for some.

    But it doesn’t for everyone.

    Far from it.

    Which got me thinking.

    What other principles are being promoted out there that might have, shall we say, a less than perfect relationship with the truth?

    As it turns out quite a few. And I’ll be visiting some of them in the coming months. But right now  I want to deal with one I’m sure you’ve heard a million times, because virtually every personal trainer says it, and every magazine quotes it, and just about everyone believes it.

    All together now:  “Eat six small meals a day“.

    OK, you say, you haven’t heard it said quite this way. But I’ll bet you’ve heard “eat three big meals and two snacks”. Or another variation, “eat every three hours”. Certainly sounds good doesn’t it? And so reasonable, too!

    Trouble is, it’s just not true.

    Or at least not always true. And it’s not true often enough to make it of very questionable value as a golden rule of dieting.

    The “eat five (or six) small meals a day” concept came out of the same culture that the “cheat day” did- the bodybuilding culture of the 50’s. (In fact, many of the things we repeat as gospel today came out of that same culture- including the idea that you have to give each muscle group a couple of days off before training it again. But I digress.)

    The theory of “six small meals” is based on the idea that your body actually uses some calories digesting food, and digestion is a metabolic process, so every time you eat a meal it theoretically “raises” your metabolism (which is pretty close to a magic talisman in the world of weight-loss). By eating small meals frequently, the thinking goes, you constantly keep your metabolism elevated.

    Problem is that this is to metabolism and physiology what Dr. Phil is to psychological science.

    Every time you eat a meal your blood sugar goes up and the pancreas responds with a shot of insulin. When people have absolutely normal metabolisms, with no issues around carbohydrate processing, the system works fine. But in people for whom blood sugar response to food- and even more important, insulin response to blood sugar– is kind of screwed up, eating frequently may actually work against you.

    The constant elevation of blood sugar (and the subsequent raising of the fat storage hormone insulin) just about guarantees that your body will never have to reach into its stores of fat to find energy to burn since there’s a constant supply of glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream (thanks to that meal you ate a couple hours ago and are about to repeat).

    Fact is– as many people can attest to from personal experience– it’s perfectly possible to do quite well on three squares a day.

    Snacking isn’t necessary, and in some cases, may be counterproductive. For some people, keeping insulin low for most of the day sets up a favorable metabolic environment and may also keep cravings at bay.

    And let’s not even talk about the fact that most people haven’t the slightest idea of what the “small” in “six small meals” refers to. Our sense of portion size has been so distorted by routine restaurant eating that many of us have come to classify a meal that would fill out the flat side of a Bosu ball as a “snack”.

    The bottom line is this: If eating every three hours or so is working for you that’s great. If you really feel better on such a routine, by all means carry on.

    But if you’re one of the many people who just don’t “get it”, and for whom frequent snacking (or the “grazing” way of eating) causes you to think about food all the time, produces cravings, and results in overeating, don’t beat yourself up. You may be one of the people for whom the mantra about eating “to keep your metabolism up” just isn’t true.

    And if that’s so, don’t be afraid to go back to basics. Three definite meals, each with a beginning and an end, each nutritionally dense and filling.

    And nothing in between.

  • The Fabulous Pistachio: Don’t Ignore This Healthy Snack

    The Fabulous Pistachio: Don’t Ignore This Healthy Snack

    If pistachio nuts had a public-relations agent, she would have been mighty happy with the results of a recent study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

    The study was the most comprehensive analysis of nut and seed varieties to date, examining twenty-seven different products. Though pistachio nuts didn’t have the highest phytosterol content of all (that honor went to sesame seeds and wheat germ), they did have the highest phytosterol content of any product generally thought to be a “snack food”.

    The main phytosterol identified in the nut and seed samples was beta-sitosterol, which is known not only for lowering cholesterol but for supporting prostate health.

    Last year at the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo, pistachios had a strong presence with two new research studies showing how the natural properties of pistachio can make for more mindful eating which in turn can help you reduce calorie intake without feeling restricted.

    The S-L-O-W Down Shell

    Dr. James Painter, a behavioral eating expert for more than 18 years and professor and chair of School of Family and Consumer Sciences at Eastern Illinois University presented his latest research in this area; two studies on “The Pistachio Principle,” which encompasses these mindful eating techniques.

    “The research shows that our perception of how much food we need to become satiated and maintain a healthy body weight is skewed by many environmental factors,” says Dr. Painter. “We eat more food if we eat off of a bigger dinner plate; we’ll eat more potato chips if they come in a larger bag.”

    Painter added that mindless eating essentially means we are ignoring hunger cues that tell us to stop, but said that small behavioral changes can help people eat less without feeling deprived.

    In Painter’s first study, 140 subjects self selected a portion of pistachios as they entered the classroom and the weight of the selected portion was recorded.  At the end of the class, the weight of the remaining pistachios was recorded and subjects were surveyed to determine their fullness and satisfaction.

    In condition one, the subjects were offered in-shell pistachios and consumed an average of 125 calories.  In condition two, subjects were offered shelled pistachios and consumed an average of 211 calories, a difference of 86 calories.  Those who snacked on in-shell pistachios consumed 41 percent fewer calories compared to those who snacked on shelled nuts and fullness and satisfaction ratings were not significantly different.  The shell changed the package of the pistachios, adding volume and it slowed consumption, allowing for hunger cues to be activated, reducing overall calorie intake.

    Visual Cue to Cut Calories

    In the second study, subjects were offered pistachios to eat at their desk over the course of 8 hours. A bowl of the in-shell nuts was provided, and refilled at regular intervals. But in one condition, the shells were allowed to keep mounting up, and the bowl holding the shells stayed on the subjects desk. In the second condition, the bowl with the empty shells was emptied every couple of hours.

    When the shells were allowed to mount up, subjects consumed 18% fewer calories than when the bowl with the empty shells was periodically emptied. Interestingly, the fullness and satisfaction ratings were the same for both groups. (This study echoes one done by Brian Wansink in which he had guys chow down on buffalo wings; when the bones kept being removed by the waitress, the guys ate significantly more than when the bones were allowed to pile up on the table.)

    The point: visual cues have a lot to do with how much we eat. The nature of pistachios makes it easier for people to be mindful of their snacking behavior- after all, you’ve got the proof of how much you’re eating right in front of you in the form of an escalating pile of shells! When those shells sit there, people are more mindful of their snacking behavior and calorie intake is reduced naturally without feelings of deprivation.

    These and other studies underscore the notion that pistachios are a healthy snack to add to any weight management plan because they are a good source of protein and fiber.  Pistachios also offer 49 kernels per serving – more than any other nut.  Comparatively, almonds have 23 in a serving, walnuts 14 halves and cashews, 18.