De-Mystifying the Food Label

One of my mentors, Dr. Norm Shealy, once told me, “Nutrition is simple… just eat real food.” Have you ever seen a banana with a food label on it? Probably not. That’s because a banana is real food. Unfortunately, we are surrounded with processed foods, and the only way to know what you are putting into your body most days is to know how to read food labels. Here’s the knowledge I use to navigate the mine field that is your neighborhood grocery store:

Here’s a food label:

Here’s what’s important:

1. Serving Size/Calories per Serving: Calories are important, because we should all keep in mind what our caloric needs are each day, and stay somewhat within that range, if we are to maintain our current weight. Serving size is usually listed in “grams” (that’s what the “g” stands for). A gram is about the weight of two or three peas. “Calories” are just a measure of energy that a food contains once your body uses it for fuel. Gram for gram, fats contain about twice the calories of proteins or carbohydrates.

Here’s what you need to watch: food makers play games with serving size. Sometimes, in order to make the food look less fattening, they will reduce the serving size. For instance, a king sized candy bar may have 120 calories per serving, but “one serving” is only one third of the bar. So if you eat the whole bar, you are actually downing 3 times 120, or 360 calories. So look out for unrealistically small serving sizes, which disguise the actual amount of calories in a food. After all, who actually eats only a tablespoon of peanut butter?!

3. Fat/Carbohydrate/Protein Ratio: Here’s what I consider the most important part of the food label. Let me start by saying that you need all three of these components. But if you’re going to eat something, you may as well make sure it’s nutritious.

FATS: You will note “fat calories” listed under “total calories” under the serving size listing of the food label. Here’s something important for you to understand: fat doesn’t make you fat. In fact, excessive carbohydrates are probably more fattening than fat. Sound good? Not so fast… it is important to avoid certain kinds of fats; namely, saturated fats and artificial “trans-fats,” also known as “partially hydrogenated fats.” And furthermore, mono- and poly-unsaturated fats are actually healthy for you to consume. So don’t obsess over “fat calories.” What you want is low saturated fat, and NO trans fat. The most common sources of fat in our diet are from animal sources (dairy, meats), which tend to contain saturated fat. But the healthiest fats come from olive oil, fish, avocados, nuts, and flax seed.

CARBOHYDRATES are broken up into “total carbs,” “fiber,” and “sugars.” “Total carbs” are indeed important to watch. But really keep an eye on “sugars.” Sugars are universally bad for you to eat, unless you are immediately running 8 or 10 miles after you ingest them. You see, your body has to convert everything it eats into sugar to create energy. But having sugar circulating through your body when you are not in immediate need of energy is nothing but trouble. So with carbohydrates, what you want is low sugar content (read more and even more).

PROTEIN… there’s not a lot of ambiguity here. But keep in mind that some protein sources are more healthful (e.g. wild caught fish, nuts, grass fed beef) than others (e.g. grain fed beef, dairy). Proteins, when broken down through digestion, become amino acids, which are the basic building blocks for most of what makes up your body. These substances are therefore essential to proper growth, repair, and renewal of your body tissues. I like to focus on giving my body about 1 gram per kilogram of my body weight (or half a gram per pound) of high quality protein each day. “High quality” means wild caught cold water fish, natural grass fed beef, organic soy, whole grains, and a limited amount of organic low-fat dairy products.

So what is a good Fat/Carb/Protein ratio? Well, depends on your particular needs. Most of us who are basically sedentary should shoot for an equal amount of protein, fat and carbs. If you work out several times a week, double the carbs. That’s the real basic low-down; there are lots of nuances we are not covering in this short article.

4. Vitamin/Mineral Content: Here, the percent of nutrients is listed, according to the recommended daily allowance (RDA) set by the government. To be honest, I don’t pay much attention to this part of the label. It’s a bit too complicated to track exactly how much of a particular vitamin each serving of food contains, and if you concentrate on getting a wide range of foods throughout the day including lots of fruits and vegetables, actual vitamin/mineral deficiencies are unlikely, with a couple of exceptions (Vitamin D and Magnesium).  And if you really want to know, the “RDA” that the government sets for many vitamins and minerals is far too low anyway. We will discuss the role of nutritional supplements in a subsequent e-newsletter.

5. Ingredient Listing: this area is listed in paragraph form, usually at the bottom of a food label. The items are listed by decreasing order. That is, the first item is the biggest part of your food, and the last is the smallest part. In general, stick with the foods with the shortest ingredient list, and with ingredients you can actually pronounce. Some things to avoid: partially hydrogenated fats, fully hydrogenated fats, mono-sodium glutamate (MSG), food colors, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners (with the possible exception of stevia), preservatives, and sugar.

Take Home: So now you know what I know. I didn’t spend much time talking about diet specifics, but you can view all of our health related e-newsletters at VEC, where you’ll find those facts covered in more detail. The major take home point is to eat real food when you can, and when you can’t, review the food label with a very critical eye. Food manufacturers are NOT looking out for you, so you must look out for yourself and your family.

As always, you are welcome to email me with questions at fhidaji@visionaryeye.org. Please visit our website to learn more about Visionary Eye Care.

Live, Learn, Enjoy!

Regards,

F. Fred Hidaji, M.D.

The Key to Keeping a Resolution: Insight

It’s that time of year again… we will all make a promise or two to ourselves to make different choices in 2011. And how long will our “resolution” last? Statistics say about 15 days. To interject a personal note, this time last year I (Dr. Hidaji) was 25 lbs heavier and could barely jog a half mile without panting uncontrollably. As I write this, I am in the best physical shape of my life, and this morning I finished an 8 mile trail run in under an hour. The key to creating lasting, powerful  positive change is not as complex as you would think.

So what allowed me to make such a drastic change in my fitness level at this stage in my life? For the answer, I will turn the podium over to Life Coach Jill Markle Bridges, an expert whose business it is to help individuals live up to their potential. Ms. Bridges’ comments are below:

“What is it that generates the motivation for change? Big energy can come in small packages…such is the nature of insight! Whether you are focusing on weight issues, resolving illness, or creating general fitness in your life, a moment of insight can literally be the spark to powerfully move you toward the happiness of enjoying being in your body.  Funny enough, true insight does not come from over analyzing or over-thinking the issue at hand. A plethora of excellent health information is easily available in literature and on the internet. But information overload is often destructive to motivation. The path to a powerful new idea or new map in our thinking is a bit more subtle.

To create space for a life-changing process to begin, the first step is to still the mental noise that most of us live with daily. The quiet mind lets new solutions move into our conscious thought and associate in a way that we can connect to. It is like the key slipping into the lock and opening the door to powerful new ways to move forward on a goal. Imagine trying to hear a cell phone ring in a noisy cocktail party. It can be ringing but we don’t hear it until we step outside to the quiet of the terrace for a breath of fresh air.  Have you ever had a great idea as you are just waking, in the shower, or while taking a walk?

Insight arises from connecting information across different regions of our brain for the first time. This process is like an energy drink for your brain. When we have an insight about a dilemma we are facing (such as how to live a healthier lifestyle!), our brain moves in a split second from awareness of the issue to reflection and finally to illumination. This quick moment of insight actually causes physical changes in the brain, releasing neurochemicals, heightening brainwave activity, and making new neural connections. The moment of insight can be quite intense but also can pass quickly.  Have you ever had a great idea and found that later it was hard to recall exact detail even if you could remember the powerful feeling that it generated? Taking action soon after an insight will help embed the new map and is key to lasting change.”

Jill Markle Bridges, founder of BridgesBuilt, LLC, can be contacted through her website, BridgesBuilt.com

As the New Year starts, my resolution is this: I will renew my commitment to publish clear, easy to understand wellness related e-newsletters for the patients of Visionary Eye Care and their families. And in the coming months, look for the launch of a new division of Visionary Eye Care…the Sri Wholeness Center, which will bring a new kind of preventive and holistic medical care to Memphis and the surrounding area.

As always, you are welcome to email me with questions at fhidaji@visionaryeye.org. You can view all of our prior health e-newsletters at VEC.  Please visit our website to learn more about Visionary Eye Care.

Live, Learn, Enjoy!

Regards,

F. Fred Hidaji, M.D.

The Key Secret to Eating Well

Fact or Fiction?

The sheer amount of information out there regarding nutrition and dieting is overwhelming for most of us. Do you have the time to sort out the truth from the hype? In this article, I will simplify good eating principles into a single important concept that you can take with you into any restaurant or grocery store and come out having made the best food choices possible. Read on, and you will be empowered to eat well.

The Insulin Response

If you can bear with me for a couple of sentences, the pay off will be worth it…. You have probably heard of a substance your body produces called “insulin.” The main purpose of this hormone is to put away sugar that finds itself in your bloodstream from food you have eaten. It’s quite automatic: you eat, your blood sugar goes up, and your body secretes insulin into the bloodstream to pack away the blood sugar. This system is, of course, very useful to store extra sugar that you are not using at the moment. But the problem arises when your blood sugar spikes too high, too fast after a particularly sugar-rich meal. In that case, the sugar is stored in places it doesn’t belong and starts to cause health problems. So how do you keep this from happening? Aha! There’s the key!

The Key: Preventing the Insulin Spike

If you keep one, and only one, principle in mind every time you eat, let it be this key principle: the foods that are best for you are the ones that it takes your body longer to digest. The longer it takes your body to break down a food source, the less likely it is to cause a damaging insulin spike. You want to eat foods that your body has to work to digest, not foods that have been highly processed and “pre-digested” for you.

What Foods To Avoid?

In general, the closer a food is to its natural state, the better it is for you. Let’s take a grain of wheat, for example. Pretty nutritious little guy, right? Yes it is! Now let’s grind that grain of wheat into powder: same nutrition, but one big difference: it will be absorbed much faster by your body, because grinding breaks down the grain (just like chewing it would). Next, let’s cook the grain, say in a cake or some bread… even more breaking down, and you guessed it, even faster digestion. Guess what? By the time flour is refined to white flour, it’s only one quick digestive step away from being pure sugar! Remember, the faster the digestion, the greater the insulin spike, and the unhealthier the food source.

But I have to get my carbohydrates from somewhere, right? Yes, but keep in mind that not all carbohydrates are equal. Pure sugar, therefore, is the worst on the list (as are sodas, fruit juices). Second worst are refined flour products (white bread, cake, brownies, pasta). Best are whole grains (whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, steel cut oats). For more detail on the difference among types of carbohydrates, see my prior post “Nutrition Secrets.”

So the basic principle is to stay away from foods containing sugar and processed flour. At the same time, pack your diet with nutritious whole grains like whole wheat, kamut, spelt, quinoa. And if you must eat processed flour or sugar, make sure that the absorption of these foods is slowed by eating protein along with it.

What about Fruits?

Well, there are exceptions to the above rule. Fruits are one of those exceptions, and here’s why: Even though fruits are often high in sugar, most fruits are also very high in antioxidants, and those are very, very good for you. So don’t overdo it, but eat plenty of fruits. Brightly colored fruits are generally a better choice. If you want to be strict about avoiding sugar, stick with low-sugar fruits like blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

Take It Home

No question that you will have sugar cravings the first week or two that you try to control your insulin spike with your diet. But stick it out, and you will feel better, lose weight more easily, and live longer. Just try it for a couple of weeks. Trust me, it gets easier. Keep up with my postings, and we will delve into other important principles of good eating.

As always, you are welcome to email me with questions at fhidaji@visionaryeye.org. You can view all of our prior health newsletters at VEC.  Please visit our website to learn more about Visionary Eye Care.

Live, Learn, Enjoy!

Regards,

F. Fred Hidaji, M.D.

The Key to Longevity: Reduce Stress

Our bodies have a built-in mechanism to deal with external causes of stress: the adrenal system. These hormone-producing glands sit atop your kidneys and serve the function of responding to stressors by secreting adrenalin (epinephrine) and cortisol (our body’s natural steroid). You may have read my post regarding the benefits of eating like a caveman. Here is another caveman comparison:

The stress response system in our bodies is exactly the same as that of humans living tens of thousands of years ago. But the causes of stress have changed vastly. Our friend the caveman needed adrenalin and cortisol flowing through his veins when he was being chased by a predator, or when he was forced to defend his home from invading tribes. The sequence of events went like this:

First, a stressor appeared (e.g. large, hungry mountain cat). Second, the adrenal glands in the caveman pumped adrenalin into his bloodstream to raise his heart rate, divert blood into his muscles, and increase his alertness; cortisol also was pumped into the bloodstream to keep his blood sugar level up while he ran from the lion. Third, Cavey, using all of his wonderful stress hormones, escaped the lion.

Fast forward to today: from the minute we awake, our minds race with “to-do’s” and worries. The commute to work is filled with annoyances like stoplights and inconsiderate drivers. Once at work, we are buffetted with wave after wave of supposed urgent “have-to’s” and demands for our attention. On the drive home, the radio blares about how terrible the economy is. All day long, these 21st century stressors pile up, causing production of stress hormones.

But here is the crucial difference between our world and that of the caveman: in our world, there is no action, or release, for these stress hormones. Simply put, we marinate our bodies in these stress hormones, which, when secreted without a physical release, can be poisonous to our bodies. The list of diseases caused or worsened by excess stress hormones is endless. Here are a few examples: irritable bowel syndrome, coronary heart disease, fibromyalgia, eczema, hypertension.

Take Home Message: Reducing stress is crucial to preventing disease and regaining health. So what can you do to reduce stress?

1. Breathe. Sounds simple, but holding one’s breath is a primary sign of anxiety. Whenever you feel stressed, try a few deep, slow, belly-filling breaths. Count to 4 on the in-breath and the out-breath.

2. Exercise. Here is the good news: you don’t have to run a mini-marathon to benefit from exercise. Even ten minutes of walking three times a week can substantially improve your mood and reduce your stress level.

3. Meditate. You don’t have to burn incense and chant “OM.” Just sit in a comfortable position and observe your breathing for ten minutes a day. If your mind wants to race, let it. Just sit, breathe, and let it go. This practice has been scientifically proven to reduce blood pressure, improve mood, even cure chronic pain.

Don’t believe that reducing stress can be this simple? I challenge you to try these three easy steps for two weeks. You will simply be amazed at their power.

As always, you are welcome to contact me for any questions. You can visit our website at: visionaryeye.org

Live, Learn, Enjoy!

Regards,

F. Fred Hidaji, M.D.

Food Dyes and ADHD

What spurred me to write this issue of our newsletter was a cute, chubby 6 month old boy that I saw as a patient a few days ago. As I walked into the exam room, I noticed the little guy sucking down a dark brown liquid from a bottle. Half jokingly I asked, “That’s not sweet tea, is it?” The boy’s mom replied, “Yes, but it’s decaf!”

Anyone want to venture a guess on this boy’s chances for being on Ritalin or Concerta in a couple of years? I would say the chances are excellent. What can you do to keep your child out of this situation? Read on…

Whether synthetic food dyes cause ADHD is still unclear, though several studies have demonstrated a very strong link. Personally, I have no doubt that synthetic food dyes, which are derived from petroleum, are unhealthy. When a company that makes food products targeted at children (Kool-Aid, Tang, Pop-Tarts, Nerds, etc) and places synthetic food dyes and additives in their products, you can be sure that they don’t have your child’s health in mind.  Another certainty is that if synthetic dyes are present, chances are that many other harmful ingredients are packed in as well. So what is a well-meaning parent to do, you ask?

Take Home Message:

1) Educate yourself. Many of the same foods that expose U.S. children to synthetic dyes are sold WITHOUT these dyes in Europe. Why? Because Europeans pay attention to what foods contain these poisons and DON’T BUY THEM! An excellent website that tracks foods and their effect on ADHD can be found here.

2) Read the ingredient list of the foods and drinks you give your children. Skip right past the front label on a product, because the information found there is purposely misleading. Dyes named by a color followed by a number (e.g. Red # 9) are synthetically derived.

3) Avoid BHT, BHA, and TBHQ, which are preservatives also linked to ADHD.

4) Limit (or better, avoid altogether) sugar intake. Instead of a processed, chemical-laden snack, hand Little Johnny a piece of fruit or some nuts.

Before you place your child on Ritalin or other drug, make sure you have exhausted all other avenues of treatment. It is absolute insanity to medicate a child while he washes downs Pop-Tarts with Kool Aid. Armed with the right knowledge, you will be a powerful force to be reckoned with in the grocery store as you make great choices for your family’s health.

As always, you are welcome to contact me for questions.

Live, Learn, Enjoy!

Regards,

F. Fred Hidaji, M.D.

Are You Becoming a Piece of Toast? The Perils of Tanning

How is getting a tan like toasting a slice of bread? Let me start by saying this: there is no such thing as a healthy tan. Many of us were brought up to associate wellness with tanned skin. But tanned skin is sun-damaged skin. The actual tissue damage that occurs to the cells and collagen of skin by over-exposure to the sun is, chemically speaking, very close to what happens to bread when it is toasted.

Tanning is nothing more than your skin’s attempt to absorb some of the damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. But what happens to the UV radiation that is not absorbed by the pigmented cells in your skin? It causes DNA damage which can lead to skin cancer later in life, and more commonly, it causes premature aging in the skin. Here are some facts that may cause you to think twice about sun-bathing:

1. Fully 80% of skin changes we associate with aging (age spots, wrinkles, sagging skin) are caused by sun exposure.

2. 5 sunburns doubles one’s risk of getting skin cancer over a lifetime. The damaging effect of each sunburn on DNA is additive.

3. Applying an SPF 15 sunblock daily between ages 0 and 18 years reduces the incidence of Malignant Melanoma by almost 80%.

But doesn’t sun exposure produce Vitamin D? Yes, but you can minimize the risk of negative effects of the sun and still enjoy its benefits. Read on to learn how….

Take this home: My family puts on an organic SPF 15 or 30 sunblock every morning on sun exposed areas – the face, upper neck, and back of the hands. If we are going to be outside for several hours, especially at the peak sun hours (10 am to 2 pm), we use a higher SPF sunblock of 45 or 60, usually one containing zinc or titanium. Vitamin D is an essential and beneficial antioxidant, so we strive to get about 15 minutes of sun exposure every day on thicker skin areas like the arms, legs, and shoulders: these areas have thicker skin that is less prone to developing wrinkles than the thinner areas of the face and back of the hands. We avoid sunburning ourselves at all costs.

As always, you are welcome to contact me for questions.

Live, Learn, Enjoy!

Regards,

F. Fred Hidaji, M.D.

At Visionary Eye Care, we are passionate about helping you feel and look your best. We have done the legwork to find the best skin care products on the market today. Our free 15 minute expert skin care consultation can get you on your way to healthier, younger looking skin. Call 901-754-3937 to make your appointment today!

Antioxidants: The Fountain of Youth?

I have no doubt that you have heard the buzz about “antioxidants.” Some food manufacturers have even started touting the antioxidant content of their products on the box (though, as you have heard me say before, if it is in a box, you are probably better off not eating it!). Are antioxidants the ultimate anti-aging tool? Perhaps, but you should read on to learn more.

Dietary antioxidants may indeed be the fountain of youth for one very important reason: though the human body is essentially the same as it was 50,ooo years ago, our diet and lifestyle have drastically changed. We are marinated in external toxins from the food we eat and the air we breathe. And the stress that we place ourselves under on a daily basis result in our bodies producing internal toxins such as the stress hormone cortisol. These factors create oxidative stress in the body.

To avoid boring you to tears, suffice it to say that oxidative stress causes damaging inflammation in our tissues and organs, and eventually causes disease, premature aging and an earlier death. Problems such as Alzheimer’s dementia, heart disease, arthritis, cataracts, and cancer have been linked to oxidative stress. Scientist use the term “redox state” to describe the balance between oxidative stress (bad for your body) and antioxidants (good for your body). Simply put, the more oxidative stress your body faces, the more antioxidants you need to maintain the redox balance.

Now this may be painfully obvious for some of you, but here it goes. If you smoke, are morbidly obese, eat poorly, or are a chronic stress-bucket — I would not start pounding antioxidant supplements down the gullet first. Doing that is like tying a nice pretty ribbon on the bridge of the Titanic as it heads straight toward Mr. Iceberg. You need to make some changes in those unhealthy behaviors first (see my prior articles on carbs and diet). Read on to learn what foods that are “antioxidant rich” and to know which antioxidant supplements may be beneficial to you.

Short List of Antioxidants and Their Natural Sources

Omega -3 Fats from coldwater fish (wild Alaskan Salmon, herring, sardines), nuts, extra virgin olive oil, flax seed

Vitamin C from citrus fruits

Vitamin D from safe sun exposure

Vitamin E from nuts, olives, green leafy vegetables

Vitamin A from brightly colored vegetables and fruits

Polyphenols from fruits and vegetables

Many of these antioxidants are readily available in a balanced diet of copious natural, whole foods. Some of them are difficult to get in beneficial quantities, and are therefore good to supplement. If all this sounds good but you need more detail, stay tuned. In the coming weeks, I will be covering my recommendations for dietary intake of antioxidants. For the time being….

Take Home Message: Eat as little of the inflammation-causing foods you can (saturated fats from dairy and meats; trans fats from processed foods; foods high in sugar: candy, white bread; and red meat) and eat as much of the antioxidant containing foods you can (fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic; wild caught fish like Alaskan salmon, mackerel, sardines; olive oil; walnuts and almonds). Understanding what causes inflammation in the body is the key to preventing premature aging, and what you eat has tremendous power to keep you healthy as well as make you sick.

Keep watching for more topics on our blog along these lines.

Live, Learn, Enjoy!

Regards,

F. Fred Hidaji, M.D.

Who won the Nature vs Nurture Debate: Great News!

Do you consider yourself doomed to have the same health problems as your father or mother? After all, why should you bother with eating well and exercising just to suffer the same heart disease that mom had, or the same colon cancer that Uncle Bob had? Well, you are not getting off the hook (or treadmill) that easily…

Recent research strongly indicates fully 80% of your health is determined by your behavior and only 20% is up to your genes. You can no longer blame your weight, your high blood pressure, or even your high cholesterol on your relatives.

You have the ultimate power to be as healthy as you are willing to be. Stop and think for just a minute about what a liberating concept that is:  your health is almost completely up to you!

So I would like to present you with a challenge: follow the future Visionary Eye Care newsletters to learn the basics of our new wellness paradigm. Together, we will learn about the latest findings on diet, exercise, nutritional supplements, and stress reduction strategies. I will cover these topics in a easy-to-understand way that you can immediately apply in your busy day-to-day life. Your reward will be the fantastic feeling of wellness, balance, and optimism that comes with improving your own mental and physical health.

Feel free to forward this e-newsletter to your friends and family, and help spread the word. You can access all of our prior issues by clicking the “home” link in the header above.

As always, I am available for questions at fhidaji@visionaryeye.org.

Live, Learn, Enjoy!

Regards,

F. Fred Hidaji, M.D.

The Key to Longevity: Live Like a Caveman

Our DNA is virtually IDENTICAL to that of our ancestors that walked the earth thousands of years ago. As far how our bodies process nutrients and adapt to our behavior, we are indeed still cavemen and cavewomen. Why should you care? Read on…

Let’s imagine what life was like before civilization: Humans were primarily hunter/gatherers. That is, we survived on berries, nuts, and the occasional meal of very lean meat. Food was very hard to come by. Small amounts of food were eaten throughout the day, and in between meals, humans were highly active…. escaping from predators, making shelter, moving around to find food. The daily schedule depended on sunrise/sunset and the seasons. When stresses like predators and conflicts with other humans occurred, an immediate response was necessary, allowing the adrenalin and cortisol released in one’s system to be put to use in the “fight or flight response.”

Fast forward to modern day America. We eat largely refined, processed, stored, and altered foods with plenty of additives; and we eat too much of them. Our diet is heavy in saturated fats from grain fed animal meats and dairy products. Most of us lead sedentary lives, with the occasional foray into exercise. Our sleep/wake cycles are dictated by an alarm clock, not our individual needs. And we are buffeted with sources of stress from our jobs, cellphones, and bad news pouring out from the radio and television at every turn. These stressors are long-lasting and we most often allow the stress to simmer all day long,  bathing our bodies in toxic stress hormones like cortisol and adrenalin.

So what is the answer? Simply put, we need to go back to our caveman roots. TAKE THIS HOME:

1. Eat NATURAL FOODS. Instead of processed foods with articial ingredients (e.g. food colors, refined sugar, preservatives), choose foods that are closest to how nature made them.  Anything that comes in a box or bag is probably not ideal.

2. EXERCISE to lose fat and release stress. Studies show that even ten minutes of moderate exercise (e.g. brisk walking) three times a week can make a huge difference in your mood, metabolism, and weight.

3. SLEEP as much as your body demands. Though not everyone has the same needs for sleep, 7-8 hours a night of quality sleep is a good general rule to go by.

4. DRINK WATER. Most of us walk around chronically dehydrated, leading to poor elimination of toxins and body waste products through the kidneys. About 4 glasses of water a day is a good starting point. And remember: sugary, caffeinated drinks don’t count!

Look out for more related e-newsletters from Visionary Eye Care in the coming weeks. I know you will find them useful. Feel free to use the “forward to a friend” link in the email you receive from us if you know someone else who may benefit from the knowledge in these articles.

As always, I am available for questions at fhidaji@visionaryeye.org.

Live, Learn, Enjoy!

Regards,

F. Fred Hidaji, M.D.

Nutrition Secrets for a Long and Healthy Life: Part One – “Carbs”…. Good or Bad?

In the 1980′s, high carbohydrate diets were the fad. Remember the “Pasta Craze”? Subsequently, the Atkins Diet popularized the idea of reducing the amount of cardohydrates in one’s diet for dramatic weight loss. So which diet should you adhere to for not only weight loss, but also good health, longevity, and vitality? As usual, the truth is somewhere in between.

Before we can have a worthwhile discussion on carbohydrates and their effects on your body, some definitions are in order. First, what are carbs? Carbohydrates are one of the three main types of nutrients (the other two, proteins, & fats, will be covered in later issues of this blog). Simply put, “carbs” are sugar. But not all carbs are created equal. Carbohydrates that we eat can be broadly classified as “simple” and “complex.”

Simple carbs (for example sugar, fruit juice, candy, white bread, pasta made with refined flour) are rapidly absorbed into the blood stream and cause an rapid elevation in the hormone insulin. For many reasons, this “insulin response” can be unhealthy.  All of us have experienced the “sugar roller coaster” that follows eating a candy bar or a piece of delicious pecan pie. Immediately after eating a high sugar food, our bodies experience a rapid rise in blood sugar. This “sugar high” is followed within minutes by a sluggish, sleepy feeling due due to the insulin response kicking in, pouring the hormone insulin into the bloodstream to lower the blood sugar to normal levels again. The insulin response causes your body to convert and store excess carbohydrates into fat. Insulin can also cause “glycation” which is the binding of sugar molecules to protein in your tissues; this process leads to tissue damage, inflammation, and premature aging changes.

Complex carbs (for example most vegetables, brown rice, whole wheat bread, oatmeal, whole wheat pasta) are absorbed much more slowly and lead to a much slower rise in insulin. Complex carbs are therefore a far superior dietary source of carbohydrates than simple carbs. I find it useful to further classify complex carbohydrates in to another group, the “fibrous carbs.” This group, which includes broccoli, carrots, kale, celery, cauliflower, spinach, and others, shares all the benefits of complex carbs plus a high fiber content.

Another important way to reduce the insulin response is to combine any carbs you eat with a lean, high quality protein such as broiled fish or skinless chicken breast. The protein load slows the absorption of the carbohydrate into the bloodstream. I will cover the topic of proteins in another article.

So here is the short take home message: for a long and healthy life, replace the simple sugars in your diet with complex carbs. Sounds simple, right? I would start by taking an inventory of the daily foods you and your family eat. You will be surprised how much simple sugar enters your body every day. Sugar is an addiction of sorts, so be prepared for some complaining from your taste buds at first. But I promise that the increased energy and wellness that you will feel after just a week of reducing simple carbohydrate intake will astound you!

As always, I am available for any questions you may have.

Live, Learn, Enjoy!

Regards,

F. Fred Hidaji, M.D.

Please visit http://www.visionaryeye.org  to learn more about Visionary Eye Care.