The Straight Facts on Carbs

By James LaValle, RPh, ND, CCN

If you're a carb lover, now's the time to get a handle on how many carbs you should be eating every day. This information is not just important for your waistline. It's also important to control the potential for disease-causing inflammation that increases with high levels of circulating insulin and blood sugar -- and that may cause cancer.

That was the result of a recent analysis of 39 studies that found that the greater a person's intake of high glycemic index and high glycemic load foods, the greater the risks of certain types of cancer (endometrial and colon).¹

Every time you eat a carbohydrate-rich food like pasta, rice, potatoes, table sugar, pure glucose, cereals, or even whole grain bread it raises both your blood sugar and insulin levels. The potential for inflammation, insulin resistance, and obesity increases when these foods are eaten in quantities beyond those our bodies can use.

Total daily activity, current body weight, and nutrient status all influence how well our body can process these foods. When you eat high carbohydrate foods, the amount of carbohydrate it contains is either used immediately for energy or stored as fat, depending on those factors.

If you're sitting in a meeting eating bagels or donuts, chances are that most of your energy-rich breakfast is circulating in your bloodstream looking for a home. If you're overweight, the scenario turns bleaker. In overweight people, insulin, the hormone needed for glucose entry into the cells for energy, is less efficient and causes blood glucose to rise and remain elevated for a longer duration.

Physical activity helps you utilize extra blood sugar, but for those of us who sit at a desk for most of the day or who get only a half hour on the treadmill per day, there is not nearly enough activity to utilize excess blood sugar. In fact, it would take days of hard physical labor to process the amount of carbohydrates consumed by much of the American population.

To make matters worse, reduced intake and body stores of nutrients like magnesium, chromium, zinc, and alpha-lipoic acid that aid the body in carbohydrate metabolism also contribute to insulin resistance and even a reduced ability to burn carbs during exercise. We have seen patients exercise intensely with the help of a personal trainer for 1 to 2 hours, five or six days a week and still not lose weight. Once we can replete them with these nutrients, they often lose weight with less exercise.

So how many carbs should you eat? At LMI, we have used a guideline of no more than 20 to 30% of calories as carbs for years. This is not too restrictive and is successful in most of our clients. The best way to determine how well your body is handling carbs is a post-prandial glucose and insulin test which measures blood glucose and insulin levels after eating a specified high carbohydrate food.

If one or both of these values are elevated, glycemic load intake should be immediately reduced. Taking the nutrients mentioned above has also helped many of our patients to eventually increase their carbohydrate intake somewhat without negative effects on their weight, blood glucose, or insulin levels.

Eating a diet rich in non-starchy vegetables like lettuce and kale, high-fiber legumes like lentils and beans, organically raised meats, and high-quality fats will help you burn fat, lose weight, and reduce your risk for many inflammatory conditions.

So swap your pasta, sweets, and excessive fruit for a few extra servings of vegetables and know that you're making a difference not only in your weight but in your overall health. As an easy reference, you can visit the University of Sydney's database to look up the GL/GI values of foods.²

References

1. Gnagnarella et al. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2008;(87):1793-1801.
   
2. http://www.glycemicindex.com.

[Ed. Note: Jim LaValle is an educator, clinician and industry consultant in the field of integrative healthcare. He is a licensed pharmacist, board certified clinical nutritionist and doctor of naturopathic medicine with more than 20 years clinical practice experience in the field of natural therapeutics and functional medicine. Named one of the "50 Most Influential Druggists" by American Druggist for his work in natural medicine, LaValle has authored 13 books, including his latest, Cracking the Metabolic Code. For more information, click here.]

Cutting Edge Fitness: Vibration Plates for Fat Loss? By Carlo X. Alverez

Some of you may have heard of a new piece of equipment that is popping up in gyms and fitness centers across the US...Whole body vibrational plates are devices that you stand on and as the name suggests, they vibrate in three different planes of motion. These devices are reported to lower the percentage of body fat while increasing muscle mass and bone density.

Normally, I wouldn't give anything with such big claims a second look. You know the old "if it sounds too good to be true it probably is," saying. However, the studies on vibration plates look promising.

One study on mice showed that when placed on the vibration plate for 15 minutes per day for 15 weeks, the fat cell production was reduced 27% and free fatty acids and triglycerides were each lowered in the blood by about 40%. The interesting part is the mice's feeding behaviors stayed the same.¹

So what about humans? The technology was originally used in the Russian space program to help cosmonauts stay in space longer. From there it was used in Russian athletes. Since then, there have been many studies measuring the effects in humans -- and the benefits of vibration plates are proving to be enormous.

Athletes are seeing better workout results in shorter time,² though some professional sports teams report their biggest benefits seem to be in the increased flexibility and stretching their players get with the machines. These plates are also being used for other applications -- in elderly adults, for instance, to not only help them gain better balance and mobility, but to help them improve circulation and rebuild bone.^3-5

But some experts are warning against potentially negative effects. In occupational medicine, some workers who are exposed to vibrations day in and day out, i.e., jackhammer operators, develop hand muscle weakness.⁶ Others who sit on vibrating work equipment daily may develop low back pain, or their discs may degenerate from the vibration.⁷

The biggest difference between vibration plates and occupational vibration exposures is the amount of time you are exposed to the vibration. While the potential upsides with reasonable intermittent use seem strong, some experts caution strongly against overuse, and others recommend avoiding vibrational plates altogether for now, stating that more studies are needed.

There aren't many shortcuts, when it comes to fitness, but I think this may actually be a truly beneficial product -- though there are some people for whom vibration plates are not recommended -- for instance anyone prone to blood clots.

So, if you are interested in using one, check with your doctor first to see if there would be any reason that you shouldn't. And while vibration plates are available for home use, they are quite expensive.

Further research should show whether this technology would prove to be helpful without harming anyone. So, while I'm not spending my hard-earned money yet, this is one to keep our eyes on!

References

1. Rubin CT et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U SA; Nov. 6, 2007; 104(45): 17879. Source: Anthony L. Komaroff, MD. Journal Watch; Dec. 15, 2007; 27(24):191.
   
2. Cormie, P J of Strength and Cond Res, 20(2), 257-261, 2006.
   
3. Corrie H, et al. Osteoporosis Int. 18(Suppl 3), 2007.
   
4. Bogaerts, A et al. Gait & Posture, 26, 309-316, 2007.
   
5. Bautmans, I et al. BMC Geriatrics, Dec; 5:17, 2005.
   
6. Necking LE, et al. J of Hand Surg, Dec 2002, 27 (6), 520-525.
   
7. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2005;39:585-589; doi:10.1136/bjsm.2005.016857.

[Ed. note: Carlo X. Alvarez is a noted authority in the customized fitness and sports performance field. He is recognized for his integrated and systematic approach to training, based on a foundation of safe and proven methodology that has direct and measurable benefits to performance. To learn more, click here.]

Healthy Nutrition: Are There Really Any "Super Foods"? By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

As a dietitian, I strongly believe in the power of a healthy diet to improve a person's life -- but I do sometimes grow tired of headlines like "The 7 Super Foods You Should Always Eat," "3 Healthy Breakfasts for a Better You" or "Super Berry Fights Heart Disease and Cancer." While I understand the intent of most of these types of articles, no one food (e.g., an acai berry) or even ten foods, has the power to completely eliminate your chance for disease -- and may not do much at all depending on other health factors you may have.

For instance, some of the foods I have seen on these lists are berries, oatmeal, barley, or other whole grains, sweet potatoes, and even bananas. While these foods are indeed nutrient packed, most of them are high glycemic load foods.

A person who is overweight, or has high cholesterol or elevated blood pressure or blood sugar -- even if it's only slight -- should moderate their intake of any of these foods, no matter what antioxidant or other nutrients they contain. That's because their body is not equipped to handle increased carbohydrate loads, especially on a continuous basis.

One suggested breakfast I saw in an online "3 Super Healthy Breakfasts" type article included a bowl of whole grain cereal, a glass of orange juice, and a yogurt. Healthy for who? Certainly not anyone who is overweight or insulin resistant. This high glycemic load breakfast would do nothing but continue to pack weight on most people I know.

As another example, take the lovely blueberry, which is rich in antioxidants and beneficial phytonutrients, and has been suggested to be protective of eye health.¹ You will often see headlines like, "Eat Blueberries for Eye Health." But an article like this that is recommending blueberries should caution people to eat them within reasonable amounts -- and within individual tolerance levels.

I had one patient who had been a pretty well-controlled diabetic, but saw one of these articles and began to eat so many blueberries he was raising his blood sugar -- and even developed an allergy to them.

"Super foods" may be high in nutritional value, but they won't usually be enough to overcome other bad habits. For instance, a person who drinks regular soft drinks or eats candy every day will still be at an increased risk of developing the most common cause of blindness, called age related macular degeneration,² whether they eat blueberries every day or not. Though they contain a lot of great nutrients and I love them -- blueberries are not powerful enough to overcome the inflammatory effects of daily, refined sugar intake.

Some of the super foods I have seen on lists, like spinach, ground flax seeds, olive oil, garlic, broccoli and green tea, I am particularly partial to because they can be eaten by anyone -- even a person doing a low carb diet. I think all these foods are great and have many benefits, but even these foods should be rotated in with a large variety of other foods for allergy protection.

Eat super nutritious foods, YES, but they should not be over consumed. And remember -- any of these "super foods" will be most beneficial when eaten within a context of an otherwise healthy diet.

References

1. Prior RL et al. J Agric Food Chem 2001 Mar;49(3):1270-6 2001.
2. Cho E et al. Arch Ophthalmol. 2004 Jun;122(6):883-92. PMID:15197064.

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute (formerly part of Living Longer Institute). She offers personal nutritional counseling at LMI for clients who need help with their diet in relation to illness or disease. Laura also provides educational services in the areas of health promotion, wellness, and disease prevention. To learn more click here.]

Healthy Recipes: Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

Rich in protein, antioxidants and energy-boosting B vitamins, this Italian-influenced salad entrée is a nutritious, satisfying way to please even the most discriminating salad eater.

Serves: 4
Time to Table: 30 minutes

Healing Nutrient Spotlight

Excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, niacin, vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, magnesium, selenium, manganese

Good source of calcium, riboflavin, thiamin, folate, pantothenic acid, zinc, copper

Ingredients*

Salad:
4 3-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half
8 cups salad greens or any combination of baby spinach, beet greens, dandelion greens and Romaine lettuce
1 cup chopped sweet red peppers
1/2cup sliced red onion
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup raw or roasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sheep or goat's milk feta cheese
2 T. chopped dried figs
6 kalamata olives, sliced or chopped

Dressing:
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. stone ground organic mustard
1 T. chopped green onions or scallions
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

*Select organic ingredients for optimum nutrition.

Preparation
Season chicken to taste and grill over medium-low flame or coals until done. Meanwhile prepare dressing: In small bowl, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and chopped scallions. Mix well. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper and set aside. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, onions, sunflower seeds, red peppers, and garbanzo beans. Toss with salad dressing and top with chicken, figs, olives, and cheese.

Nutrition
440 calories, 30 g protein, 25 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 10 g monounsaturated fat, 6 g polyunsaturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 25 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 8g sugar, 8300 IU vitamin A, .2 mg thiamin, .3 mg riboflavin, 10 mg niacin, 1.4 mg pantothenic acid, .7 mg vitamin B-6, 3 mcg vitamin B-12, 95 mg vitamin C, 8 IU vitamin E, 40 mcg folate, 360 mg sodium, 160 mg calcium, 90 mg magnesium, 700 mg potassium, 5 mg iron, 25 mcg selenium, 2.2 mg zinc, .3 mg copper

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 07-01-08] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/