Oh no! We Have Become Our Fathers. Part 2

Many of my patients have lost weight on whatever fad diet was popular that month. And many of my patients have gained their weight back in the same month. Most people find it difficult to maintain a "diet." What are the first three letters in "diet"? That's right -- "die." I have always felt like I was dying when I was dieting. I read most of the diet books so I can answer my patients' questions. In doing so, I sometimes even learn something new, but more often than not the books leave me as confused as my patients. Individually, each diet book seems to make sense and hold merit. But the diets are often contradictory. One diet advises eating only protein, one carbohydrates, one bacon, one never any bacon, one eggs, one no eggs, one eggs only if you don't have an inflammatory condition, etc., etc. It's all very confusing and overwhelming. My patients say, "I give up. I'll just eat air." Then I have to remind them that the air quality is poor...

Fortunately, the diet books do agree on some points. In order to lose weight, we need to curb our calorie intake at each meal and throughout the day. That doesn't mean we need to go hungry; we must make wise choices to limit the number of calories we consume.

Other recommendations most diet books agree upon are

Ø No partially hydrogenated foods

Ø No high fructose corn syrup

Ø Naturally grown and organic foods

Ø Decreased white sugar consumption

Ø Decreased white flour consumption

Ø Decreased starches

Ø More green vegetables

Ø Drink water throughout the day

Ø No salt and fat-laden foods

We should avoid boxed and canned foods, as they are usually laden with chemicals and sodium (salt). We need to be aware that the latest fad diet's name on the box doesn't necessarily make it healthy. When fat or sugar is reduced, those ingredients have to be replaced with chemicals to add a taste of sweetness, chemicals to hold the food product together, and/or increased sodium for preservation.

We should carefully read the ingredients in any food we are considering eating. A good rule to follow: If you can't pronounce or spell the name of an ingredient in the food you are about to eat, don't eat it!

It is important to learn about the glycemic index. The glycemic index ranks carbohydrates according to their effect on blood glucose (sugar) levels after eating. Low glycemic count carbohydrates are good, as they cause only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels. We should avoid foods with high glycemic count.

I also recommend that my patients eat every one-and-a-half to two hours throughout the day. If our stomach "growls," we have waited too long to eat. We are more likely to consume more than we need when we finally do sit down to eat. Our blood sugar levels will soar and then "crash," making us feel very tired. It is better to eat at regular intervals throughout the day, keeping sugars level and metabolism strong.

Modifying our diet in these ways is a lifestyle change. It is best to make the change slowly and in small increments. A little change at a time is much less likely to cause feelings of resentment and hopelessness, which can lead to giving up on the idea.

In addition to better nutrition, our lifestyles need to include proper amounts of sleep, sufficient and appropriate exercise, and management tools to handle stress. Changing our lifestyles to include all these aspects will slow the aging process, contribute to a longer life with less disease and pain, and maybe even make it take a little longer for us to turn into our fathers or mothers.

"He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything." Arabic proverb

Dr. Michael J. Kaye has been a practicing Chiropractor over the last 18 years. He holds a post-graduate degree in Rehabilitation. His practice focuses on treatment for the chronic and post-surgical patient. He has published articles on post-surgical knee rehabilitation; and chronic myofascial pain syndrome. He has developed a web site www.frompaintopersonalgain.com devoted to health, wealth and happiness. His coaching site is www.coachinggps.com Contact the author, Michael Kaye , at mijokye@comcast.net.