All entries posted by Dr. Larry Kaskel
What You Need to Know About Pre-Diabetes
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PRE DIABETES The Center for Disease Control, CDC has compiled statistical data from 2010 regarding Diabetes. Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic disease in the world! In the United States alone:
These numbers are only representative of stats from 3 years ago. More fun facts: Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, amputations, stroke, hypertension and nervous system disease. Because Diabetes is primarily caused by intolerance to sugar, patients have a choice….give up the foods that convert into sugar or are primarily sugar OR lose your limbs, become blind, go on dialysis and develop crippling foot pain and dementia. For most patients that are prediabetic or type 2 diabetic they have always had a choice….becoming diabetic or not. Unfortunately, this is not often presented to patients in a way that will often help them, not here, not in hospitals, not in medical literature, not by the ADA (American Diabetes Association). The ADA currently states quote - “type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease and newly diagnosed diabetics should begin aggressive insulin therapy….and for children ages 10-18 the new guidelines state that the first step should be to start them on insulin” unquote! Additionally, the President of the ADA states that despite the increasing prevalence of diabetes, little is known about the most effective treatment regimen. Now, I don’t know the president, I’m sure he’s a stand up guy, but I don’t think he knows what he’s talking about……..hundreds of studies indicate what is effective, and what we’ve been doing in our office for years is effective….and that’s been….giving some of our patients a choice. Patients that are either Diabetic or prediabetic may not realize that their elevated sugars are causing them health risks or they’re told that the doctor wants to have them increase their meds…maybe take more insulin or orals. They are never offered a choice….the choice being….would you like to prevent diabetes or cure your diabetes? Would you like to be able to reduce the amount of medications you take or even stop taking your medications…because it’s all possible, because you have a choice……BEING on medication does not cure diabetes OR STOP IT’S INSIDIOUS EFFECTS! When you have a progressive disease that’s being caused by increased sugar intake and the only way to alleviate this problem is to reduce your sugar, what would make the most common sense? Cut out your sugar…..However the “ADA guidelines tell diabetic doctors, and educators to help their patients control or manage, never cure, their diabetes through diet! This dietary advice is always to have their patients keep their sugar or carbohydrate levels between 130-260 grams of carbs daily….that equates to 32-60 teaspoons of sugar every day! Really?….your’e kidding me right? Nope, all the literature states this very clearly! You’re almost diabetic or diabetic because of too much sugar in your body, so the ADA says “let’s make sure you keep the sugar in your body”! It’s this distortion that our patients need to be made aware of and they’re not! My problem with all of this is that it’s the sugar that’s toxic in our bodies causing the kidney failure, heart disease and other health concerns isn’t just beginning when your number hits 6.4 your diabetic diagnosis! The Mayo Clinic recently came out stating that if you’re pre diabetic, it’s time to do something about it now! Why? Because prediabetes means that the amount of sugar in your body is currently contributing to your the risk for heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s and many other problems associated w/diabetes and that just because you’re not yet labeled as a diabetic, you should be aware that the sugar is causing the same damage over time as that of a diabetic. It’s like saying that you were completely healthy until they had a heart attack or stroke.….no, you had been developing heart disease aggressively which most likely lead to that fateful day, and so the same is true with prediabetes. We cannot let our patients that are beginning to accumulate the damages caused by to much sugar in their system to just sit around as prediabetics and wait until they hit that magic 6.4 number. Even while on 3-4 drugs, patients are still diabetic with sugar still being the cause of their health problems and their medication isn’t lowering it to acceptable standards…..the patients don’t know what to do, the doctors are many times at a loss and it’s this disease that’s controlling the patients lives instead of the patients controlling or eliminating the disease. So here’s a final thought for you: IF CARBOHYDRATES HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON BLOOD SUGAR AND WEIGHT GAIN, THEN WHY DO WE EVEN REQUIRE CARBOHYDRATES? GUESS WHAT? WE DON’T!! In the 1800’s many scientists and doctors knew that humans could live in perfect health where there were no carbs, additionally as early as the 1700’s doctors new that the restriction of carbs in the diet treated and cured diabetes. In an article from JAMA in 2010, two doctors state that “carbohydrates are a nutrient for which humans have no absolute requirement”. Additionally, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, states that carbohydrates are not an essential nutrient for human function. So in conclusion all existing type 1 and 2 patients should be directed for diabetic counseling that actually works to reduce or get them off their medications through lifestyle change! When JAMA and The NEJM recently both concluded that intensive lifestyle intervention is better than medication, it’s time to listen.
Try It For A Week
Try It For A Week – It Could Make You a Lot HappierShifting Our Perspective Can Free Us from Stress and Anxiety, Irritation, Anger and Rage, and Even Depression Our own plight, in fact everything we do, is to reduce our discomfort and to gain a sense of happiness. It’s omnipresent; it’s why we scratch an itch (because the itch is making us uncomfortable and so we scratch it to relieve the discomfort) and why we have children (because we’re the kind of people who have a strong belief in the value of family) and why we start wars. On more nuanced levels, it is why we love, and why we grieve. Once we understand this, that everything we do is on some level done to relieve our “suffering,” we can begin the real work of learning to live in wellness. So let’s get a better handle on this idea. First we need to see clearly that everything we do is to relieve some level of our own suffering. Then we need to generalize that understanding. We need to realize that if we are doing everything to end our suffering, then everyone else is doing what they are doing to end their suffering. The more deeply we believe this, the more we can see this in ourselves and others, the more we can shift to Living in Wellness. When we do realize this, we know, we just know, that the only reasonable response to someone who is suffering and trying to relieve their suffering is for me to be understanding and compassionate. So the actions of others no longer upset or annoy me, no longer make me stressed or depressed. Yes, we still have to respond appropriately, but no, we don’t have to get stressed or anxious about it.This is not easy. But please do attempt it at home. When my wife yells at me, Living In Wellness has taught me that she is yelling because she is suffering over how she perceives what has happened. This means I need to respond with compassion, not get upset and yell back. When this becomes our perspective, instead of us becoming irritated at someone cutting us off in traffic or someone else getting the promotion at work we had wanted, we allow our hearts to open to them and we become peaceful and comfortable with things as they are. Then we just do what is appropriate. When this understanding, that we are all always doing what we do to relieve our suffering becomes our perspective, our basic and main perspective, we are Living in Wellness. The question now isn’t “What can I do to live in wellness?” but “Do I have the inclination and motivation to do the daily work needed for Living in Wellness?” And, “Am I willing to commit to this new understanding, both from my side of events and from the other person’s side too? Startup Practices: 1. Develop a daily meditation practice. Start with 5 minutes a day. Find a form of meditation that you can do and just do it. There will soon be group and individual meditation sessions at NMPG for those of you who would like face-to-face instruction. If you want to read about it, try any of the books by Jon Kabat-Zinn.There are also You Tube videos of him doing guided meditations and lectures on this and related topics. I meditate; I know it would benefit all my patients. It reduces blood pressure, strengthens the immune system, and it has made me a happier camper both at home and at the office. That’s pretty remarkable for something I can do in less than 5 minutes a day! 2. If we want to move in the direction suggested in this blog, then we need to start acting like it was true even if we haven’t completely bought into the idea. So, for a week, commit to this: Every time you approach someone with whom you expect to have an interaction, as you approach them, say to yourself, “What can I do to be of benefit to this person, who is suffering?” That’s it….try it for one week and see what happens. Who knows you might just be a little less miserable.
Start meditating
Shifting Our Perspective Can Free Us from Stress and Anxiety, Irritation,
Our own plight, in fact everything we do, is to reduce our discomfort and to gain a sense of happiness. It’s omnipresent; it’s why we scratch an itch (because the itch is making us uncomfortable and so we scratch it to relieve the discomfort) and why we have children (because we’re the kind of people who have a strong belief in the value of family) and why we start wars. On more nuanced levels, it is why we love, and why we grieve.
Once we understand this, that everything we do is on some level done to relieve our “suffering,” we can begin the real work of learning to live in wellness.
So let’s get a better handle on this idea. First we need to see clearly that everything we do is to relieve some level of our own suffering. Then we need to generalize that understanding. We need to realize that if we are doing everything to end our suffering, then everyone else is doing what they are doing to end their suffering.
The more deeply we believe this, the more we can see this in ourselves and others, the more we can shift to Living in Wellness. When we do realize this, we know, we just know, that the only reasonable response to someone who is suffering and trying to relieve their suffering is for me to be understanding and compassionate. So the actions of others no longer upset or annoy me, no longer make me stressed or depressed. Yes, we still have to respond appropriately, but no, we don’t have to get stressed or anxious about it.
When my wife yells at me, Living In Wellness has taught me that she is yelling because she is suffering over how she perceives what has happened. This means I need to respond with compassion, not get upset and yell back. That’s when I know it really works.
When this becomes our perspective, instead of us becoming irritated at someone cutting us off in traffic or someone else getting the promotion at work we had wanted, we allow our hearts to open to them and we become peaceful and comfortable with things as they are. Then we just do what is appropriate.
When this understanding that we are all always doing what we do to relieve our suffering becomes our perspective, our basic and main perspective, we are Living in Wellness.
The question now isn’t “What can I do to live in wellness?” but “Do I have the inclination and motivation to do the daily work needed for Living in Wellness?” And, “Am I willing to commit to this new understanding, both from my side of events and from the other person’s side too?
Startup Practices:
1. Develop a daily meditation practice. Start with 5 minutes a day. Find a form of meditation that you can do and just do it. There will soon be group and individual meditation sessions at NMPG for those of you who would like face-to-face instruction. If you want to read about it, try any of the books by Jon Kabat-Zinn.There are also You Tube videos of him doing guided meditations and lectures on this and related topics. I meditate; I know absolutely it would benefit all my patients. It reduces blood pressure, strengthens the immune system, and it has made me a happier camper both at home and at the office. That’s pretty remarkable for something I can do in less than 5 minutes a day! 2. If you want to move in the direction suggested in this blog, then you need to start acting like it was true even if you haven’t completely bought into the idea. So, for a week, commit to this: Every time you approach someone with whom you expect to have an interaction, as you approach them, say to yourself, “What can I do to be of benefit to this person, who is suffering?”
One week….. try it….it’s quite remarkable
Eating for Wellness
Eating For Wellness
Nutrition is one of the key components of Living in Wellness, and yet it isn’t’ often explained clearly. In fact, as I noticed recently when thumbing through a diabetic cooking magazine that was sent to my office, you’re likely to receive bad or outright wrong information, even from seemingly trustworthy sources.
So let me lay it out: What I advocate for good health and weight maintenance is to limit your dietary carbs to 50-75 grams/day. In plain English, that’s a low carohydrate diet. Indeed, my type 2 diabetes and prediabetic patients have effectively prevented and reversed/cured their type 2 diabetes and/or prediabetic condition by limiting their dietary intake of carbohydrates to less than 50 grams per day, the low end of my recommednation. And many have seen the results within 4 weeks of changing their diet.
Given that, my rule for food is this: if the serving size has more than 12g of carbohydrates, it’s a dessert. Minimize or avoid desserts; or share. Or if you are looking at Nutrition labels, then that food product is most likely processed and should probably be avoided. If you stick to protein, healthy fats and veggies there is no need to count or worry about carbs.
Here are some guidelines so you can avoid going to diabetes magazines and other unrelaiable resources for information about how to eat, how to deal with diabetes, and how to maintain your weight.
Guidelines for Healthy Eating
1. Have a portion of fish, chicken/poultry or meat (beef, veal, lamb, or pork with every meal. Best is wild or grass-fed; better is organic/hormone-free. Don’t strive for leaner here, healthy eating isn’t about making everything lean; enjoy the fat.
2. Frequently eat eggs, daily would be very good, either at breakfast or as a snack, or in or as a salad. Best is Free-Range, grass-fed, better is organic.
3. Eat a variety of different vegetables throughout the day and week. Best choices are any veggies…
4. Occasionally eat nuts or nut butters, remember peanuts are legumes are not nuts, so generally avoid them and peanut butter. Instead try natural almond and cashew butters.
5. Minimize (this doesn’t mean eliminate completely): breads of all kinds, pasta, boxed cereals, grains such as brown rice (some white rice is ok), oats, barley, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, triticale, etc. Eating two slices of Whole wheat bread is no different than eating a snickers bar in terms of effects on your blood sugars.
6. Enjoy fats: cook with butter, coconut oil or animal fats; use olive oil and nut oils as much as you want for dressings and as a flavoring (not cooking); don’t use products called hydrogenated fats like Margarine or Crisco( originally used as candles but then remarketed as food) , don’t buy vegetable oil or products with soy oil or seed oils like canola.
7. In moderation, use full-fat dairy cream and cheese.
7. Dramatically reduce sweets: desserts, sweetened processed foods; sugar, honey, agave; and fruits (which are really no different than a Snicker’s Bar) and candy. Berries are best in the fruit category.
When it comes right down to it, we should all be eating like diabetics! Unfortunately, most diabetics are not properly taught how to eat!
What to eat for Breakfast
Breakfast
Living in Wellness requires us to power up with protein, and breakfast is where this starts each day. Eggs and meats and poultry and fish need to become the mainstay of our morning meal, not oatmeal and boxed cereal and bread. There is absolutely no need for any carbohydrates in the morning (unless you happen to be running a marathon before going to the office). As ingrained as we are to having cereal and bread for breakfast, it is just plain bad for us. Amazing as it may seem, as an overarching rule: there are no healthy cereals. Alan Watson’s Cereal Killer is a great book about this. Just remember, the human body requires ZERO grams of ingested carbohydrate to function. That’s right, ZERO.
There is compelling evidence that virtually everything the experts have told us for the past four decades about obesity, diabetes, and weight loss is wrong. We need to be cutting down the carbs while powering up the protein. Not the other way around, which is what our government and dieticians have mistakenly been telling us for the past 40 years.
Structurally, eating well at breakfast is very difficult, not only for my patients but for me and my family as well. While I know absolutely and unequivocally that breakfast should be no different from any other meal, telling my ten year old son that we’re having leftover roast beef and broccoli for breakfast just doesn’t cut it. I might get away with corned-beef hash made with sweet potatoes, but he hates corned beef; God knows I’ve tried. He wants oatmeal, and boxed cereal, and so does my daughter.
I do not believe that oatmeal has any health benefits and, in fact, it raises blood sugars in a dramatic and unhealthy way. Please stop listening to TV ads (I wish I could get my kids to do that too!) for these products. The very few, very big companies that make oatmeal and breakfast cereals do not have your best interests in mind. I do.
It seems our entire breakfast world is made up of cereals and breads and bagels and muffins. Once you eliminate these foods from your life, what is left? Yogurt, right? Wrong. Most yogurts are actually desert treats as they have more than 20g of sugar in them. If you want yogurt it needs to be a full-fat, low carb yogurt (less 12g of carbohydrates). Fage is available in most supermarkets in the area and meets these criteria.
On second look, it turns out there is a plethora of food options for breakfast. It just requires some thinking, preparation and, oh yah, mindfulness. First, lets start with eggs. Eggs are the perfect nutritious food. They will not kill you; they don’t raise your cholesterol and do NOT cause heart attacks. Most of us (95%) can eat 8 eggs a day and not even see a rise in our blood cholesterol levels! That may not be what the government is saying, but it is the truth. So I am urging you to increase your egg intake, with one caveat. Eat real eggs from chickens that are grass fed. Why? Because they are “healthier” eggs with a better balance of fats and nutrients.
Egg packaging is very deceptive; if the carton doesn’t say “free-range” don’t buy it. Whole Foods sells free-range eggs. Forget about all the other phrases, like cage-free and organic and vegetarian-fed and omega-3 added. The only thing that counts is “free-range.” Eat these eggs any way you want, scrambled, poached, fried, soft-boiled. Eat them often; they are good for you. Try hard-boiling a dozen on Sunday night and grabbing 2 on your way out the door every morning if you have to eat on the run. If you have no other option but McDonalds, order a bacon or sausage and egg biscuit and throw out the biscuit.
Leftover cooked chicken, fish, and beef are ideal for powering up with protein in the morning. For a quick breakfast, toss half a cup of leftover chicken or fish or beef into 2 beaten free-range eggs. Melt a tablespoon or so of butter in a non-stick skillet, add the eggs and meat and stir continuously until the eggs scramble to the texture you want–soft and creamy or firm. Season it with some salt and pepper. You might want to top the eggs with some fresh herbs, like tarragon or parsley, or with some salsa or salsa verde, with some sliced avocados or guacamole, or with some leftover tomato sauce. You can add a tablespoon or so of curry or chili powder to the eggs, if you want, to heighten the flavors. It’s a great quick breakfast.
One of my patients, Carrie, has discovered a delicious non-carb fake oatmeal I love . If you just can’t give up the idea of cereals, eat this everyday. To make 2 servings of Carrie’s “oatmeal,” in a large bowl, whisk together 3 egg whites, 1 cup almond or coconut milk, 1 ½ tablespoons flaxseed meal (available in most supermarkets)1 mashed ripe banana, ½ cup coarsely chopped nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, whichever is your favorite), 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Transfer to a medium-size saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until hot and thick, just a couple of minutes. Serve immediately. Sarah Fragaso’s cookbook, “Everyday Paleo Recipes for Life” is a good source for recipes and wonderful breakfast ideas. Surf around her website when you have a few free minutes. Making the switch to a healthy diet can seem hard at first, but with a time, it will become easier and easier. Just remember, Living in Wellness is powered by protein.
Statins for WOMEN?http://www.reachmd.com/xmsegment.aspx?sid=3900 THIS RADIO INTERVIEW SHOULD MAKE YOUR HAIR STAND ON END. LISTEN TO IT OR DOWNLOAD IT. IF YOU DONT UNDERSTAND IT SHOW IT TO YOUR DOCTOR AND ASK HIM WTF? More »
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sugar sugar sugarSugar is so harmful to public health it should be controlled like alcohol and cigarettes, U.S. scientists claim. Researchers from the University of California-San Francisco said Wednesday that the public's... More »
stop GlycatingSo its up to you to learn the truth. Start by reading Wheat Belly by Dr William Davis and then Why we get fat by Gary Taubes For many decades, so-called nutrition experts kept focusing on the... More »
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read this book or blogThe Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D. Wheat Belly Posted: 25 Sep 2011 03:35 PM PDT Over a half decade ago Professor... More »
Another reason to eat wellDavid Liu Ph.D. Saturday Aug 6, 2011 (foodconsumer.org) -- Weight loss induced by caloric restriction can boost sexual drive and performance of men with both obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus,... More »
eat your eggsThis is from a great site "Health Realizations" Over 16 percent of U.S. adults have high cholesterol, defined as 240 mg/dL and above, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)... More »
Start Low Carbing carefully via Dr Eades blogIn the last post we discussed ramping up the fat intake as the single best way to hurry the low-carb or keto adaptation along. I didn’t mention it in the previous post, but another... More »
illusionsThe illusion of health and diets You know how when you buy a new car, or are in the process of buying a new car…all of sudden, you see that same car everywhere? That type of... More »
ldl not the enemy'Bad' Cholesterol Not as Bad as People Think, Study Shows ScienceDaily (May 8, 2011) — The so-called "bad cholesterol" -- low-density lipoprotein commonly called LDL -- may not be so bad... More »
Change your Life 180 degreesThere’s an old saying, and it finishes with…..”as long as I’ve got my health”. What I’ve always taken away from this, is that no matter what life’s problems,... More »
Wheat not so goodWheat, via exorphin effects, is an appetite stimulant. Eat a whole wheat bagel or bran muffin, you want another. You also want more of other foods. You also want something to eat every two hours due to... More »
eat those eggsAccording to the U.S. Government's latest guidelines, one egg per day does not result in increased blood cholesterol levels. Nor does it increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in normal people. What... More »
fat is good for youThis comes from spacedoc.net which I think is a great blog: Does the thought of a steak, bacon and eggs, or real milk make you cringe thinking you're instantly clogging up your arteries? How many... More »
exercise mythsChances are you've heard all kinds of advice when it comes to working out. But are these maxims fact — or fiction? Don't believe these common workout whoppers: Myth #1: Exercise should hurt. Whether... More »
Is there such thing as No carb?There really is no such thing as a no carb diet When I prescribe patients to follow a wheat-free, cornstarch-free, sugar-free diet on top of of a low-carbohydrate diet, many ask: "How can I... More »
sugar makes you sickIt sure does. Our bodies have a very sophisticated defence system called the immune system. Part of that system, the neutrophil , a type of white blood cell that circulates in our blood stream, helps to... More »
What should I eat for breakfast doctor?It turns out that the first meal after a nights sleep programs your metabolism for the rest of the day. A high-fat breakfast of nitrite free bacon and cage free eggs may be the healthiest start to the... More »
Are meal replacements as good as they say they are?You've probably seen shakes and bars designed to be drunk or eaten in place of a regular meal. You may wonder, Are they a good choice for weight loss? In general, it's better to learn how to choose healthy... More » |
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