Low Glycemic Index foods

Low Glycemic Index (GI) may help you control your appetite. The table below, published by Bekeley Heart Lab, Inc., shows the GI of some common foods. Look at it carefully, and I'm sure you'll find some unexpected results. Always try to choose the foods with the lowest GI. For example, when looking for a fruit snack, choose cherries or grapefruit over watermelon or dates.
As a reference, the GI of table sugar (and corn syrup) is approximately 90.
Berkeley Heart Lab is known for its in-depth analysis of blood cholesterol profile and the resulting cardiac implications. We use their services when appropriate.
To enlarge the GI chart, just click on the image. You can also click and drag it to your desk top.

Eat low Glycemic Index foods

The Glycemic Index (GI) of a food  is a measure of how much blood sugar level rises after eating a given amount of that food. The lower the GI of a given food, the lower will be the rise in your blood sugar. Your pancreas will not be called upon to release insulin as fast, and several benefits accrue: better control of blood sugar levels, a decrease in appetite, better weight control, and a lower risk of developing full fledged diabetes.

As a reference point, the Glycemic Index of table sugar is 64 (not very good), and for some foods it can exceed a real-bad 130 (dates, French baguette and, yes, non-dairy tofu frozen desert).

Here are some examples of the good, the mediocre, and the bad (note: this is only a guideline; for the actual values of many foods, click here): 

Low Glycemic Index foods, 55 or less, good: Milk (skim or fat), plain yogurt, legumes (lentils, kidney beans, chick peas), soy beverages, certain fruits (apples, plums, grapefruit, oranges, berries), oat bran bread, pumpernickel bread, slow cooked oats (oatmeal),  whole grain pasta (al dente is better, believe it or not…).

Medium Glycemic index foods, 55-69, mediocre: Banana, pineapple, raisins, new potatoes, split pea or green pea soup, brown rice, All-Bran™, shredded wheat cereal, whole wheat bread, rye bread.

High Glycemic index foods, 70 or more, not so good): White bread or bagel, white potatoes, parsnips, rutabaga, instant rice, certain cereals (Cheerios™, Corn Flakes™, Rice Krispies), french fries, ice cream, table sugar, jelly beans, watermelon, naturally sweetened sodas.

Need more information and/or support? Give us a call. 

Lose weight with an HMR shake for breakfast

When we need to lose a few pounds, Sandy and I find it helpful to control our breakfast calorie intake by using HMR shakes. We prefer the HMR 70 vanilla mix. This is how we use it:

1 packet of HMR 70 vanilla mix
1 glass filled ½ with crushed ice & ½ with water
1 tsp Hershey’s powdered cocoa (sugar-free)

Place HMR packet in bottom of blender.
Add ice, water and cocoa, and blend.

Optional additions:
½ banana or,
½ cup berries
flavor extracts (calorie free)

Add to partially-blended shake and blend again for an additional minute. Enjoy!

Calories:
HMR 70, 110 calories
Banana/berries, 50 calories (approx)
Hersheys cocoa, 5 calories

Total 165 calories (approx)

You may use 1 ½ to 2 packets of HMR, but remember to count your calories. You may experiment with other fruits and extracts to create the shake you like best.

HMR shakes and other weight loss foods are available at our office. They are an integral part of our medically supervised weight loss program.

Weight and antidepressants - what's the connection?

Does the use of antidepressants affect your weight?

For many, this is a valid health question. For others, especially women (but not limited to women), it's also a social issue, a body-image issue, and many times a reason for refusing to use medically-necessary antidepressant medication.

Many patients on antidepressants gain weight. Is it a direct effect of the antidepressant, or is it that some patients begin to enjoy life more, and "celebrate" it with more eating?

Others lose weight. Is this a direct effect of the medication, or is it that these patients can now better deal with the realities of life and better control their eating habits and exercise?

While the jury is still out on this question, some answers begin to emerge. A meta-analysis (a statistical analysis of related research) that appeared in October of last year in the respected Journal of Clinical Psychiatry indicates that the antidepressants Amitriptyline (Elavil) and Mirtazapine (Remeron) and Paroxetine (Paxil) are associated with weight gain, while the antidepressants Ffluoxetine (Prozac) and Buproprion (Wellbutrin) are probably associated with weight loss.

The pressure to treat overweight in both depressed and non-depressed patients has become so urgent that some antidepressants are now used "off label" for weight loss, either alone or in combination with prescription appetite suppressants.

So, if you're taking or contemplating the use of an antidepressant, and weight loss or weight gain is an issue for you, don't forget to discuss the specific pros and cons related to your situation, with your doctor.

In our office, we have the ability to make a very reliable estimate of your daily caloric requirements (we do this by measuring your actual oxygen consumption while at rest), and use that as a guide in treatment when a combination of depression and obesity exists.

Know Your BMI

Your BMI (body mass index) expresses the relationship between a person’s height and weight. It is considered a good indicator of normal or excess weight, and of the links between overweight and disease. Generally, a BMI of 19-25 is considered normal. BMI’s below 19 are considered underweight, and BMI’s over 25 are considered overweight. A BMI over 40 is referred to as morbid obesity, and carries with it serious medical risks. Use the calculator on the right hand column to get your BMI.

Weight loss is a full time job

When it comes to weight loss, there is no magic bullet. There are no foods that melt your fat away. No 10-minute-a-day exercises will melt inches from your waist in one week, and no creams will massage the weight away. So what is there? And what's the right thing for you?

You can't fight basic physics. Ultimately, your weight loss will be determined by the amount of calories your body absorbs, and the total amount of calories your body burns at rest and during physical activity.

No matter what weight loss program you choose, the bottom line will be a combination of portion control and an increase in physical activity. As much as we like to recommend an increase in exercise, both for weight loss and other medical benefits, emphasis on portion control is usually more important (note that in order to walk off a hearty sandwich you may have to walk more than five miles…).

So what's the right portion control method for you? Here are some choices:

Do It Yourself (DIY) portion control. Do it if you have the will power to do so. Keep a balanced diet loaded with vegetables. 1200-1400 calories a day will suffice in most cases.

Meal replacement. Replace 7-10 meals a week with a good quality meal replacement product. It helps keep your daily calorie count down. We recommend HMR (Health Management Resources) products because of their quality. We have used these products for over 20 years in our weight loss practice.

Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD). We use Medifast for our VLCD. You eat five mini-meals during the day, and your own protein dinner, for a total of approximately 900 calories a day.

Appetite suppressants. Several are available, individually or in combination. We prescribe them when appropriate, especially when you have a large amount of weight to lose.

What should you expect? For every 500 calories that you eat less or exercise more every day, expect to lose one pound a week.

When watching your weight, it's very easy to lose focus and get off the track. You must think weight loss every time you're hungry, every time you're in a restaurant, and every time you think that exercise is not for you. It's a full time job, and the pay is high. So do it!

Weight loss – Why the low carbs?

A lot has been said, and rightfully so, about how decreasing carbohydrate consumption helps you lose weight.

I'll give you a personal anecdote. You draw your own conclusions.

I was 6-7 years old in Israel (that's a little while back…), and underweight. My mother just had to have me gain weight. She took me to one doctor after another, but I stayed skinny. Finally, she found enough money to take me to the "Big European Professor," who came up with the solution. He instructed my mother to give me tea with six (not less) teaspoonfuls of sugar about an hour before dinner. She did, and I did, and I gained a significant amount of weight.

What the Big European Professor didn't know then, but we do know now, is why I gained the weight, and why I gained it quickly.

Eating sugar raises your insulin level, and the high insulin level drives your appetite, which only fuels the vicious weight gain cycle. The same holds true when you consume other carb rich foods, especially the highly processed ones such as white flour and starch; they rapidly turn into sugar in your blood, and have the same effect as if you ate sugar.

The conclusion is inescapable: turn the weight gain cycle off by decreasing your consumption of refined sugars and other carbs. While this may not solve all of your overweight issues, it's a necessary step.

Are you overweight (and by how much)?

Two thirds of adult Americans are overweight, and half of these are obese. The degree of overweight is expressed by the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a calculated relationship between one's height and weight.

A BMI of 18.5-25 is considered normal. A BMI greater than 25 but less than 30 is overweight. A BMI greater than 30 but less than 40 is considered obese. A BMI of 40 or more is morbid obesity.

There is no question that overweight affects health. The higher the degree of obesity, the greater the health risk. To make things worse, frequently there's also a social stigma attached to obesity.

So where do you stand? Look at our BMI CALCULATOR on the right column and punch in your numbers, or punch in hypothetical numbers - a "wish number" or a target number.

We can help you lose weight safely and keep your weight down. We have several weight loss plans tailored to your needs, from portion control, to meal replacement, to appetite suppression. And while you're at it, we'll measure your daily calorie expenditure, your body fat content, and your ability to exercise.

Interested? contact us.

Exercise? Just do it

(Adapted from my earlier published EzineArticles and other articles)

More than 60% of Americans under-exercise, and of these, more than 25% are sedentary.

Common reasons given for failure to exercise include: I don't have the time...I'm too tired...I don't know what type of exercise to do...I have a medical condition (usually a "bad heart," back pain or knee pain)...I'm too heavy... I become short of breath...I can't afford the gym...It's boring...I'm too old.

And there are more innovative excuses: my uncle lived to 106 and he never exercised (we should all be blessed with his genes)...It's too cold outdoors in the winter...I'm always away... I do enough at work...

You get the idea. Almost any form of physical activity is helpful, but a good exercise program should include at least 30 minutes of moderate, aerobic physical exercise most days of the week. Examples of aerobic exercise are brisk walking, jogging, bicycling, swimming and aerobic dance. An effective exercise program should include:

• Warm-up, 3 to 5 minutes. A warm-up gradually increases your heart rate and the blood flow to the heart and muscles preparing them for exercise. To warm-up, do the activity you have chosen to do (for example walking or biking), but at a slower pace during the warm-up period.
• Aerobic activity, at least 30 minutes (build up gradually from 15 minutes over several weeks). With aerobic exercise you use more oxygen to burn calories for the extra energy you spend. Exercise within your target heart rate zone (target charts are available in gyms, on the net, and at your doctor's office).
• Cool-down 3 to 5 minutes. Cooling down allows your heart rate, breathing and blood pressure to return to normal, and allows you to stretch better.
• Stretching, 5 to 10 minutes. Stretching will improve your flexibility, decrease muscle soreness and help you relax. Stretch those muscles you were using during exercise. Hold each stretch for 15-20 seconds.
• Strength training, which is a very important component of a good exercise program.

Before you start an exercise program, check with your doctor if you are over 35 or have a history of medical problems. If you truly have special needs, a reasonable exercise program can usually still be designed for you.
 
Are you interested in checking your degree of conditioning and your general exercise capacity? We have a unique testing facility where we measure your maximum oxygen capacity (known as vO2max) and determine how fit you are. It's the only free standing medical facility in our area performing this form of evaluation.

Think twice before indulging…

Are you planning to exercise away the extra calories of your next meal? Think again.

A typical McDonald double cheeseburger has approximately 440 calories. Add large French fries at 500 calories and you're at more than 900 calories (we won't count the soda because I know you chose the zero calorie one…).

If you weigh about 155 lbs (what used to be the typical adult male weight in the US), and you like to walk, you'll burn 76 calories for each mile.

So the meal you just had would cost you an 11.8 mile walk. No problem, it's still less than a half-marathon distance.

Incidentally, if you were to stop by the Cheese Factory for a cheese cake portion, that will only cost you an additional 9 miles.

Of course, you could do the un-American thing, and have a good portion of no-skin chicken and salad (you can even have a little oil and balsamic vinegar dressing) plus fruit, at less than 400 calories for the meal. Still hungry? Have an apple plus another fruit later.

Do the right thing, your body will thank you for it.