Weight Loss 101: The Basics and Fundamentals You Simply Must Know.

Weight Loss is a topic you see and hear more often than anything. Losing weight is a problem EVERYBODY has. More and more of us are becoming overweight by the second of each and everyday. When we become obese we are at risk for other co-morbid diseases such as Heart Disease, Diabetes, Hypertension, Cancer, and others. This fact we understand clearly from the outset. When we continually punish our bodies with eating too much we predispose ourselves to a myriad of diseases and conditions which make our daily living difficult for us. There are, however, factors we need to address when it comes to weight loss. I can go on and on about how dieting and exercise simply doesn't work for the majority of us but that would cover half a dozen posts and perhaps more. What we will cover here in this post is the basics and how we can leverage on the fundamentals to better understand what our bodies go through as we try losing those unwanted pounds. Firstly, lets talk about key facts:

1. The foods we eat are essentially proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Each macronutrient serves different purposes such as for energy, for cellular building blocks and replenishing, and for energy stores. Our body regulates how we take up and utilize food by many factors, some of which are internal and genetically controlled, but also, some are dictated by how much work we do on a daily basis; how many calories do we need to go through our typical day. So besides hormones and our metabolic rate, the environment also plays a key role in dictating how much food we need to consume on a daily basis.

2. Our diets are mostly cultural. We eat more foods from our ethnic backgrounds more so than from other ethnic groups. That being said it is then safe to assume that some foods are richer than others, at least from a cultural standpoint. HOW we eat and WHAT we eat is also dictated by WHO we are.

3. Less in, more out. This is the basic premise of dieting. This is also the reason why diets do not work. Lets take this in perspective and use an example. If, for instance, a person has been 30-45 pounds overweight consuming, on the average, around 4000 calories a day. Then we subject that individual to just 2300 calories a day and ask him or her to limit caloric intake to that. Then we turn around to complete the other half of the equation by asking the individual to exercise more in order to increase his or her metabolism and burn those stored fat. Do you see where the struggle is ensuing? Metabolism is not just dictated by the amount of activity we are subjected to. It is also hormonal. You see, after a while, our body adjusts to the kind of eating habits we have. In order to lose weight by dieting alone you would have to understand how to control and suppress your hunger. Satiety is key. When you feel full, the less you eat. That makes sense, right? Well, it's easier said than done. More on that on future posts.

4. The YOU factor. Losing weight also depends on you. What I mean by that is gender, age group, presence of other co-morbid diseases, vices and habits, among others. So when you read the label of any health product or weight loss supplement and see "RESULTS MAY VARY", this is what they mean.

5. Reprogram the program. In order to lose weight effectively we have to start from the ground up. We need to understand and put into effect why changing eating habits is not the first step to losing weight. It is the second step. The first step is changing our perspective of food. We need to inculcate a clear mental picture of how we see food. Do we see it to nourish and replenish our bodies or do we see it as something else? Eat only what you need.

6. Water is the key. When we metabolize our food our body's metabolic processes puts into play hundreds of enzymatic proteins which play key roles in breaking down nutrients, replenishing cells, and storing energy. The glue which makes all this happen is water. Water is required in our cells in order for metabolism to take place as well as waste disposal. What I am essentially getting at here is that overweight individuals need to drink more water in order to BURN THE FAT. Without proper hydration, losing weight will be a difficult and painful experience.

So there you have it. The basics you need to understand in order to formulate an attack plan on losing weight. Also, understand that there are foods that naturally speed up your metabolism, foods that selectively allows you to absorb other nutrients and prevent others from being absorbed, foods that decrease cancer risk, foods that make your skin look younger, foods that gives the most energy. But more on these food types on future posts. I covered some of these on my previous posts as well. Be well and until our next post, JowelMD signing off but not out.      

The Truth About Acid Reflux; How to Live With GERD

     A lot of us suffer from Indigestion or Acid Reflux. As a fellow sufferer I can tell you from first hand experience how debilitating this condition really is. There is a lot of myth out there regarding Acid Reflux, or GERD, or Indigestion, as it is sometimes called. A lot of it has to do primarily with what causes it and the so-called medications, remedies,and cures that are out there. What is Acid Reflux? You can do your own research in the internet on what the condition is and you will usually fall in either one of two camps of thought.   One explanation tells us that the valve on the gastro-esophageal junction is weakened, causing reflux of acid and food contents upwards toward the esophagus. Another explanation circumvents around the biochemical problem dealing with the body's alkalinity. It basically means you produce more acid than is necessary hence causing the reflux. Which is true? How effective are the over the counter medications we frequently buy to relieve our indigestion? Do they really work? Well, before we talk about which is which let's digress further on the risk factors involved for acquiring GERD.

The first risk factor is old age. As we get older the valve at the junction between our stomach and esophagus weakens and this is a natural event. This explains that our elderly tend to get more heartburn than the younger generations. Another risk factor is increased abdominal girth, as in the form of obesity and pregnancy. The mechanism behind these two is that our stomach has limits in terms of expansion as we eat and when we really engorge ourselves, acid and food contents gets pushed upwards by way of compression. That is why we doctors always advise a patient to try losing weight and see how his or her condition changes or improves. Another risk factor is smoking. Cigarette smoking weakens the valve hence causing acid reflux. Other often overlooked risk factors are stress, lack of sleep, and eating spicy foods. As you go by this list you can easily see how these risk factors, once compounded, increases the risk of having Acid Reflux quite greatly.

How is it that a lot of patients being brought in to the Emergency Room, who thought they were having a heart attack, are actually suffering from heartburn? Well, one of the symptoms of Acid Reflux is chest pain, often described as sudden and intense, causing sufferers to believe they were indeed having a heart attack. The other signs and symptoms of Acid Reflux are shortness of breath (laryngospasm), hoarseness, cough, regurgitation, nausea, laryngitis, and a sensation or feeling of something 'lumpy' in your throat. Acid reflux can take on thse myriad of symptoms and knowing what to expect from GERD helps you better deal with it.

There is no clear cut reason why we are predisposed to getting acid reflux. A lot of it has to do with our propensity towards this condition as a result of our lifestyle habits, our health conditions, our age, and many other things. What is important to understand however,  is that long-standing GERD can lead to more serious conditions such as Barrett's Esophagus and Cancer. Instead of looking at heartburn in this light let us approach the condition from a more hollistic understanding, which, in the end, will also dictate how we manage and deal with the condition in a day to day basis. I believe that hearburn is a natural event. It is a way by which our bodies react to what we take in and is a good indicator of our general health and well being. Our body's cellular processes are dictated by many biochemical and physiologic events which work optimally at a set range in pH. If our body has a problem with alkalinity ( meaning we produce more acid), our stomach overproduces acid in return. a balance must be set in order to control this stomach acid production and many cells and hormones are at play here.

Here are some home remedies which can help alleviate symptoms of heartburn:

1. Apple cider vinegar; take 1 tablespoon in a glass of water twich a day to slowly return the body to
    its normal alkalinity.
2. Ginger; boiled and allowed to cool then drink with honey. Works much like apple cider vinegar.
3. Papaya; this is a little known secret to return the body to its optimal function and clean our
    digestive system. The mechanism by which it cures GERD is still unclear but it does help.
4. Drinking Alkaline water.
5. Lemon, lemon, and lemon. It is actually alkaline and helps reduce acidity.


Here are some things to avoid:

1. Caffeine.
2. Overeating.
3. Going to bed on a full stomach.
4. Carbonated drinks like sodas.
5. Foods like onions, chocolates, high fat foods, processed foods, and others. It's always helpful to
    remember or keep a list of foods which trigger heartburn for you.
6. Smoking.
7. Alcohol.

Here are some things which help:

1. Eat in moderation and slowly chew your food. Eat in small, frequent quantities rather than big
    meals.
2. Get enough sleep. One of the risk factors discussed above is lack of sleep.
3. Wear loose clothing.
4. Lose the weight. You'll see how your heartburn improves drastically if you lose those extra   
    pounds.
5. Carry a roll of antacids with you wherever you go.
6. Eat organically grown foods only and increase your vegetable and fruit intake by at least 60%.

Well, I hope these help. Always be well, think only of pure thoughts of positivity and happiness, never be down for long, and strive to be more and you will be much much more. JowelMD signing off but never signing out. Until our next post, folks. Sorry for the long absence.