Myth: INSULIN OR INSULIN RESISTANCE CAUSES OBESITY
Insulin is a hormone your pancreas releases that's best known for regulating blood sugar and transporting glucose into your cells. Insulin also plays a role in the body fat loss picture because high insulin levels prevent your body from releasing fat. This may sound like insulin is bad news.
Insulin does not necessarily cause obesity, although controlling insulin should be a goal of any body fat reducing nutrition program. Gerald Reaven, the Stanford diabetes researcher who literally wrote the book on metabolic syndrome, said that insulin does not make you gain weight and neither does insulin resistance. In fact, he says, the notice is "almost ludicrous."
There is a close relationship between excess body fat, insulin, and metabolic syndrome, and losing weight will certainly improve your health. It's the surplus calories, however, that actually creates fat gain, and it will always take a caloric deficit to lose it.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Balance of what we allow ourselves to take in
I have a patient who has a very demanding and stressful job. He deals with illness, disease, medical emergencies, pathology, and death each day. He initially came to therapy presenting with signs/symptoms of depression and anxiety.
I began to see that he was "out of balance" (my terminology) with what he allows into his conscious and subconscious mind each day. When he came home from work he would watch violent television shows, watch the news each night, and dread the next day at work. I suggested to him that he bring more beauty and kindness into his life each day to balance and counteract the amount of negativity he was exposed to on a daily basis. We researched what it is that brings joy and gentleness to his life that he had been neglecting. He stated that he loved watching animal shows on television, reading novels, and being in nature. We set up the mutual goal of him bringing these beautiful things into his life on a regular basis.
The results were absolutely amazing! He almost completely gave up the habit of watching the news each night and took walks with his wife and read each day. His depression lifted and he enjoyed a better relationship with his wife, children, and no longer dreaded going to work each day.
I always say it's about balance. To me, life can be painful and difficult on its own. We do not have to introduce additional pain and negativity into our lives. We control the scales.
I have utilized this truth about balance in my own life. For quite a number of years in my professional life I worked with patients that were dying or very ill on both hospice and home care programs. I began to feel sad often due to my being out of balance to what I was exposing myself to. I began to look inside and realize just what it is that I needed. I began to listen to classical music, jazz, and watch television shows depicting the more beautiful and joyous things life has to offer. I received a lifting of my sadness and an improvement in all areas of my life. Even now, I am aware to look inside and see what exactly I need to bring balance back to my mind. Each day, I deal with anger, rage, depression, anxiety, pathology, and dysfunction in my practice. When I am balanced, I am a more effective psychotherapist, trainer, and hypnotherapist. I am more available to whom I need to be giving my undivided attention to at that moment.
I began to see that he was "out of balance" (my terminology) with what he allows into his conscious and subconscious mind each day. When he came home from work he would watch violent television shows, watch the news each night, and dread the next day at work. I suggested to him that he bring more beauty and kindness into his life each day to balance and counteract the amount of negativity he was exposed to on a daily basis. We researched what it is that brings joy and gentleness to his life that he had been neglecting. He stated that he loved watching animal shows on television, reading novels, and being in nature. We set up the mutual goal of him bringing these beautiful things into his life on a regular basis.
The results were absolutely amazing! He almost completely gave up the habit of watching the news each night and took walks with his wife and read each day. His depression lifted and he enjoyed a better relationship with his wife, children, and no longer dreaded going to work each day.
I always say it's about balance. To me, life can be painful and difficult on its own. We do not have to introduce additional pain and negativity into our lives. We control the scales.
I have utilized this truth about balance in my own life. For quite a number of years in my professional life I worked with patients that were dying or very ill on both hospice and home care programs. I began to feel sad often due to my being out of balance to what I was exposing myself to. I began to look inside and realize just what it is that I needed. I began to listen to classical music, jazz, and watch television shows depicting the more beautiful and joyous things life has to offer. I received a lifting of my sadness and an improvement in all areas of my life. Even now, I am aware to look inside and see what exactly I need to bring balance back to my mind. Each day, I deal with anger, rage, depression, anxiety, pathology, and dysfunction in my practice. When I am balanced, I am a more effective psychotherapist, trainer, and hypnotherapist. I am more available to whom I need to be giving my undivided attention to at that moment.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The 8 biggest fat loss myths -#7
Myth: DIETARY CHANGES FOR HEALTH AND WEIGHT LOSS ARE ONE AND THE SAME
There's a big difference between the health benefits and body composition benefits you can get from eating certain foods. This is called the health-body fat paradox.
High body fat usually comes with a cluster of other health problems, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and high triglycerides. The first part of the health-body fat paradox is that you can actually be healthy while having unwanted excess body fat, and you can be lean while experiencing major health problems. The ideal is lean and healthy, not one or the other.
The second part of the paradox is that you could eat white sugar, white flour, or virtually any other junk food you can think of, and if you consume only small amounts so that you remain in a calorie deficit, you'll still lose body fat. Conversely, you can be a clean-eating fanatic and cut all of the refined foods out of your diet, and while you will get health benefits from that, if you are in a calorie surplus, you'll still gain body fat.
Weight gain or loss is dictated primarily by calorie QUANTITY. Health is determined by calorie QUALITY. The ideal is the right combination of calorie quantity and calorie quality, not one or the other.
When you understand the health-body fat paradox, you'll be able to strike the right balance between calorie quality and calorie quantity. You'll also understand when a recommendation is made for health purposes as compared to weight loss purposes. They usually overlap, but they're not always the same.
There's a big difference between the health benefits and body composition benefits you can get from eating certain foods. This is called the health-body fat paradox.
High body fat usually comes with a cluster of other health problems, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and high triglycerides. The first part of the health-body fat paradox is that you can actually be healthy while having unwanted excess body fat, and you can be lean while experiencing major health problems. The ideal is lean and healthy, not one or the other.
The second part of the paradox is that you could eat white sugar, white flour, or virtually any other junk food you can think of, and if you consume only small amounts so that you remain in a calorie deficit, you'll still lose body fat. Conversely, you can be a clean-eating fanatic and cut all of the refined foods out of your diet, and while you will get health benefits from that, if you are in a calorie surplus, you'll still gain body fat.
Weight gain or loss is dictated primarily by calorie QUANTITY. Health is determined by calorie QUALITY. The ideal is the right combination of calorie quantity and calorie quality, not one or the other.
When you understand the health-body fat paradox, you'll be able to strike the right balance between calorie quality and calorie quantity. You'll also understand when a recommendation is made for health purposes as compared to weight loss purposes. They usually overlap, but they're not always the same.
New Insurances now accepted for psychotherapy
This office is pleased to announce that the following insurances are now accepted for payment for psychotherapy sessions with Dr. Crew:
Empire Plan
Value Options
United Health Care
United Behavioral Health
Island Group Administration
Medicare
Aetna Health Plans
Many other insurance companies will reimburse their members for sessions paid for utilizing the out of network feature.
Thank You.
Empire Plan
Value Options
United Health Care
United Behavioral Health
Island Group Administration
Medicare
Aetna Health Plans
Many other insurance companies will reimburse their members for sessions paid for utilizing the out of network feature.
Thank You.
A bit of wisdom from Jack Kornfield
"Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow come and go like the wind. To be truly content, rest like a great tree in the midst of them all."
Jack Kornfield
from "Buddha's Little Instruction Book"
Jack Kornfield
from "Buddha's Little Instruction Book"
Dr. Crew's Fat Loss Challenge- update week #2
Well, readers...I promised to honestly report my progress each and every Thursday. I 'll give you the good news first. Over the past 17 days on this program I have lost a total of 5.8 pounds. The not so good news is that according to the scale I gained 2.4 lbs. this week. I am keeping it all in perspective. Well, I am trying to. Losing that much weight in the first week was clearly an anomaly so I am comfortable with the amount I have lost overall thus far. This, like so many other things in life, is a process. I will continue to take each day at a time and work the program. This approach has served me well in every other area of my life.
Now, I have to look very closely at exactly what I am eating and how I can make improvements on the quality of my calories. (and the quantity, perhaps). This situation reminds me of some basic truths once again. First, that the number on the scale is never the complete picture. There is the possibility of water retention weight gain and muscle gain factors to consider. Secondly, a true commitment to a process does not waver when a small setback occurs. Lastly, the "big picture" is most important when one sets goals. The big picture here is 100 days on program and evaluation of results only at that time. Commitment does not change due to a number on the scale.
I feel well and people who know me well tell me I look leaner. Michael says I look "hot", and this is always so very important to me. (Well, he's biased though!) Ha!
Well, I can tell you all that I believe next Thursday will be very different from today. Let's wait and see.
Now, I have to look very closely at exactly what I am eating and how I can make improvements on the quality of my calories. (and the quantity, perhaps). This situation reminds me of some basic truths once again. First, that the number on the scale is never the complete picture. There is the possibility of water retention weight gain and muscle gain factors to consider. Secondly, a true commitment to a process does not waver when a small setback occurs. Lastly, the "big picture" is most important when one sets goals. The big picture here is 100 days on program and evaluation of results only at that time. Commitment does not change due to a number on the scale.
I feel well and people who know me well tell me I look leaner. Michael says I look "hot", and this is always so very important to me. (Well, he's biased though!) Ha!
Well, I can tell you all that I believe next Thursday will be very different from today. Let's wait and see.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Stress and our immune system
Most health care professionals would agree that stress increases your risk for illness and this is particularly true for severe long-term stressers such as caring for a loved one with a chronic medical illness or a past trauma.
However, we still have a relatively limited understanding of exactly how stress contributes to the risk for illness. In the August 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry, researchers shed new light one particular link between stress and illness by describing a mechanism through which stress alters immune function.
Although cortisol levels are similar to others, it has been found that white blood cells suffer genetic damage when under stress. The body is unable to respond to immune threats, and a systematic inflammation tends to occur.
Thus, the current findings might help to explain why caregivers would seem to be in a chronic pro-inflammatory state, a condition of immunologic activation. This activated state could contribute to the risk for a number of medical illnesses, such as depression, heart disease, and diabetes.
The conclusion? Stress is not just damaging for your mood, but your physical, emotional, and immune health. We need to create balance through exercise, massage, meditation, and healthy relationships with others. In these ways, we care for ourselves.
My patients have heard me go on and on about my clear belief that we accept that life is often stressful and difficult. It is, however, OUR responsibility to decide on how much stress we choose to carry around on us and in us. We need to be responsible for how we RESPOND to life's stress. This response is ALWAYS IN OUR CONTROL. If we blame our amount of stress entirely on external factors we will continue to be as stressed as what happens to us. We will have no control. In this scenario, we see ourselves as victims.
However, we still have a relatively limited understanding of exactly how stress contributes to the risk for illness. In the August 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry, researchers shed new light one particular link between stress and illness by describing a mechanism through which stress alters immune function.
Although cortisol levels are similar to others, it has been found that white blood cells suffer genetic damage when under stress. The body is unable to respond to immune threats, and a systematic inflammation tends to occur.
Thus, the current findings might help to explain why caregivers would seem to be in a chronic pro-inflammatory state, a condition of immunologic activation. This activated state could contribute to the risk for a number of medical illnesses, such as depression, heart disease, and diabetes.
The conclusion? Stress is not just damaging for your mood, but your physical, emotional, and immune health. We need to create balance through exercise, massage, meditation, and healthy relationships with others. In these ways, we care for ourselves.
My patients have heard me go on and on about my clear belief that we accept that life is often stressful and difficult. It is, however, OUR responsibility to decide on how much stress we choose to carry around on us and in us. We need to be responsible for how we RESPOND to life's stress. This response is ALWAYS IN OUR CONTROL. If we blame our amount of stress entirely on external factors we will continue to be as stressed as what happens to us. We will have no control. In this scenario, we see ourselves as victims.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
