Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

Sometimes a cookie is just a cookie.

The season of celebration is upon us. Many of us have more parties to attend than we can handle. Although this is a good thing, we only have so much time — and often, we also have many other responsibilities to our job or family that must take priority over all the merriment. Then we have the problem of keeping health and fitness plans intact with all the high-calorie treats we’ll face when we do find the time to party on. Is there any wonder that the holiday season can be so stressful?

How do you handle all the party cookies? Do you follow all the advice on blogs about how to deal with the food and drink at parties? Perhaps you just let all those ideas slip away with that finger food; after all, with your New Year’s resolutions in a month, you can get back on track, just like you did last year, right? Maybe you have established good health habits all year long and you just laissez les bons temps rouler.

If your inner party animal (or French lessons) need some additional help, try some of these ideas at party time to keep those cookies in check:

Call it like it is

Sometimes that first cookie will lead to a party binge. If that is your problem, don’t start with a cookie, eat and drink high-volume, low-calorie foods and save that cookie for a goodnight treat for a job well done.

Be concrete with your plans

Have specific coping strategies for the parties. Don’t drink until you can’t control yourself with the cookies. Focus on the people and other party activities rather than just the cookies.

Keep it simple

Look for whole healthy foods and drinks at the party. Even the most decadent hosts accidentally add these foods. If you look for them, you will find them.

Try and modify

Even if your cookie-eating strategy isn’t perfect at the first party, all is not lost for the entire season. Learn from your mistakes and plan accordingly for the next big event.

Have a reminder

Keep a note in your pocket, or wear a pin or other ornament that you have decided before the party is your no-cookie reminder, and continually read or look at it to help you keep your cookie vigilance running.

Stay with the tried-and-true

When you have learned what works for you, keep doing that until it becomes a habit. These habits will sustain you even if your attention is distracted by a cookie monster.

Have a buddy

If possible, before the party, get a cookie buddy and support and encourage each other at the event to stay with the program.

Sometimes a cookie is the beginning of that pathway to failure; sometimes, however, a cookie is just a cookie. The choice is always ours.

7 Ways to Resist the Cookies and Eat Healthy at Holiday Parties is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

(CC) Flickr/lululemon athletica

As a self-proclaimed fitness fanatic, exercise has played a large role in my life for a long time!

Information from every study continues to support the wonderful health benefits of exercise. Although this data will come as no surprise to most of us, as we can appreciate the results in our own lives, it’s still nice to see that all of our hard work has the support of some hard data.

The benefits of exercise:

Exercise has a number of effects that benefit the heart and circulation. Along with avoiding high-fat foods, it has been demonstrated that a person who exercises often and vigorously has the lowest risk for heart disease. Exercise improves cholesterol and fat levels, reduces inflammation in the arteries and helps keep blood vessels flexible and open.

Exercise is critical for building and maintaining strong muscles and bones. Muscle strength may decline with age, but with exercise, this decline is much slower.

Exercise also helps children lower their risk of chronic pain in the future and helps them prevent back and neck pain. The more flexible we are as teenagers, the lower our risk of neck problems as we age. In addition, women who had the greatest endurance strength as teenagers had a lower risk of neck problems.

(CC) Flickr/Josiah Mackenzie

Exercise is important for our joints. A moderate exercise program that includes low-impact aerobics and strength training has benefits for people with osteoarthritis. Many patients who start an exercise program report less disability and pain.

Regular exercise, particularly walking, helps reduce one’s risk for memory loss. Epidemiologic studies have found an association between increased exercise and lower rate of functional decline in older adults. Aerobic exercise improves reaction time, perception and math skills. I have planned almost every elective operation I have done while running — as well as formulated many of the ideas for these columns.

Exercise for only 60 minutes a week improves the physical and emotional well-being of patients who already have Alzheimer’s disease.

A review of 40 studies on the health benefits of exercise:

A recent large research summary, which CalorieLab editors briefly reviewed, supports the positive effects of regular exercise on our health.

This review, published in the December issue of the International Journal of Clinical Practice, indicates that being physically active is an essential lifestyle choice that has dramatic effects on improving our health.

Physiotherapist Leslie Alford at the University of East Anglia recently studied a series of 40 papers, which covered global research published between 2006 and 2010. “The literature reviewed shows that how long people live and how healthy they are depends on a complex mix of factors,” says Mr. Alford. “Individuals have…control over some of these factors, including obesity, diet, smoking and physical activity.”

(CC) Flickr/alpha7allan

With exercise, there is a decreased risk of coronary heart disease and ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, according to the papers reviewed. There’s also a reduced risk of certain types of cancers, osteoporosis, Type 2 diabetes, depression, obesity and high blood pressure. A direct association exists between higher levels of physical activity and lower cancer death rates; there’s also a strong relationship between increased physical activity and reduced colon cancer and lower rates of prostate cancer. Physical activity after a cancer diagnosis can aid recovery and improve outcomes. What’s more, physically active men are less likely to experience erection problems. Physical activity may even decrease the risk of dementia in the elderly.

Alford’s review recommends that healthy adults aged between 18 and 65 complete 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week or 60 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise a week, including two strength-training sessions a week that zero in on major muscle groups. This exercise will help participants maintain their balance and flexibility. Physically active individuals should continue to exercise for as long as they can and recognize that it’s never too late to begin an exercise program. Not smoking and following a healthy diet are also important for wellness.

“Ideally, to gain maximum health benefits, people should exercise, not smoke, eat a healthy diet and have a body mass index of less than 25,” says Mr. Alford. “The more of these healthy traits an individual has, the less likely they are to develop a range of chronic disorders.”

There are so many physical, mental and spiritual benefits from exercise that I probably didn’t name them all, as the list goes on and on. Just as a smile is the shortest distance between two people, exercise is the shortest distance between you and optimal wellness. Put on that smile, exercise and know you are doing wonderful things for yourself.

The Wonderful Health Benefits of Exercise is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

(CC) Flickr/lululemon athletica

As a self-proclaimed fitness fanatic, exercise has played a large role in my life for a long time!

Information from every study continues to support the wonderful health benefits of exercise. Although this data will come as no surprise to most of us, as we can appreciate the results in our own lives, it’s still nice to see that all of our hard work has the support of some hard data.

The benefits of exercise:

Exercise has a number of effects that benefit the heart and circulation. Along with avoiding high-fat foods, it has been demonstrated that a person who exercises often and vigorously has the lowest risk for heart disease. Exercise improves cholesterol and fat levels, reduces inflammation in the arteries and helps keep blood vessels flexible and open.

Exercise is critical for building and maintaining strong muscles and bones. Muscle strength may decline with age, but with exercise, this decline is much slower.

Exercise also helps children lower their risk of chronic pain in the future and helps them prevent back and neck pain. The more flexible we are as teenagers, the lower our risk of neck problems as we age. In addition, women who had the greatest endurance strength as teenagers had a lower risk of neck problems.

(CC) Flickr/Josiah Mackenzie

Exercise is important for our joints. A moderate exercise program that includes low-impact aerobics and strength training has benefits for people with osteoarthritis. Many patients who start an exercise program report less disability and pain.

Regular exercise, particularly walking, helps reduce one’s risk for memory loss. Epidemiologic studies have found an association between increased exercise and lower rate of functional decline in older adults. Aerobic exercise improves reaction time, perception and math skills. I have planned almost every elective operation I have done while running — as well as formulated many of the ideas for these columns.

Exercise for only 60 minutes a week improves the physical and emotional well-being of patients who already have Alzheimer’s disease.

A review of 40 studies on the health benefits of exercise:

A recent large research summary, which CalorieLab editors briefly reviewed, supports the positive effects of regular exercise on our health.

This review, published in the December issue of the International Journal of Clinical Practice, indicates that being physically active is an essential lifestyle choice that has dramatic effects on improving our health.

Physiotherapist Leslie Alford at the University of East Anglia recently studied a series of 40 papers, which covered global research published between 2006 and 2010. “The literature reviewed shows that how long people live and how healthy they are depends on a complex mix of factors,” says Mr. Alford. “Individuals have…control over some of these factors, including obesity, diet, smoking and physical activity.”

(CC) Flickr/alpha7allan

With exercise, there is a decreased risk of coronary heart disease and ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, according to the papers reviewed. There’s also a reduced risk of certain types of cancers, osteoporosis, Type 2 diabetes, depression, obesity and high blood pressure. A direct association exists between higher levels of physical activity and lower cancer death rates; there’s also a strong relationship between increased physical activity and reduced colon cancer and lower rates of prostate cancer. Physical activity after a cancer diagnosis can aid recovery and improve outcomes. What’s more, physically active men are less likely to experience erection problems. Physical activity may even decrease the risk of dementia in the elderly.

Alford’s review recommends that healthy adults aged between 18 and 65 complete 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week or 60 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise a week, including two strength-training sessions a week that zero in on major muscle groups. This exercise will help participants maintain their balance and flexibility. Physically active individuals should continue to exercise for as long as they can and recognize that it’s never too late to begin an exercise program. Not smoking and following a healthy diet are also important for wellness.

“Ideally, to gain maximum health benefits, people should exercise, not smoke, eat a healthy diet and have a body mass index of less than 25,” says Mr. Alford. “The more of these healthy traits an individual has, the less likely they are to develop a range of chronic disorders.”

There are so many physical, mental and spiritual benefits from exercise that I probably didn’t name them all, as the list goes on and on. Just as a smile is the shortest distance between two people, exercise is the shortest distance between you and optimal wellness. Put on that smile, exercise and know you are doing wonderful things for yourself.

The Wonderful Health Benefits of Exercise is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

I recently had my biannual flight physical, which is very comprehensive and similar to what you have performed when you see your own doctor for a complete physical exam, with the possible addition of a thorough eye exam. Not being the pin-ball wizard, my vision may well be the most important aspect of being able to fly the plane. I really like my Aviation Medical Examiner. He is a Critical Care physician who I have seen for years, very clearly I might add, because I am happy to report that I passed the exam with no limitations.

Do you have limitations?

If you are overweight or obese, there is a good chance that you do.

The obvious limitations to being a private pilot for the overweight and obese is the weight and balance considerations for the aircraft. Small airplanes have very low tolerances for allowable weight, and that weight has to balanced to be able to fly safely. In addition, we need reasonable mobility just to get in and out of the airplane, and as most private planes were designed several years ago before society began super-sizing itself, the plane interiors are often not designed for today’s massive masses.

It’s really all about health

Actually too large a body size is just one small area that can limit the private pilot. Several unhealthy medical conditions that occur very frequently in the overweight and obese individual are also disqualifiers for being able to pilot a plane.

High blood pressure, diabetes requiring hypoglycemic medication; various types of heart disease, several mental disorders such as depression, strokes, and osteoarthritis with significant mobility problems are just some of the disease states that will make it difficult for you to be cleared by the medical examiner for takeoff.

It’s not just about being a pilot

I suppose the dream of being a pilot could serve as motivation to help us live a healthier lifestyle, but I realize my passion is not shared by everyone. However, everyone does benefit in many ways from putting that effort into their own wellness. Look at your own life, at your family, at your dreams, and I am sure you will find the motivational reasons you need to begin or sustain your personal fitness journey.

As for me, I love having the privilege of being a pilot. Along with the many other benefits of being fit and healthy, the freedom and joy of flight is something that I want to be able to maintain for as long as I can. It is a dream I do not want to lose. I feel that living a healthy lifestyle and staying a fit weight will give me the best chance for this.

“For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.” Leonardo da Vinci

Limiting Your Limitations is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

How I met the Colonel:

I first met Tom at our Fitness Center. He was sitting outside the locker rooms, waiting for his wife to finish changing. I noticed he wore a tee shirt with the words Air Force emblazoned on it. He noticed my smiling gaze and said, “Hello young man!” Serendipity has a way of showing up like that.

The Colonel:

As it turned out, Tom was a Colonel (retired) from the Army Air Corps days. He was 85 at the time, tall, slim, ramrod straight. He had flown the finest propeller driven planes our world has ever produced, leaving the military just when jets came on the scene. As a younger man he had flown the elder Charles Lindbergh across Europe in a DC-3, although he enjoyed telling me that he asked Lindbergh to fly him, and Lindy graciously did. When Howard Hughes made the one and only flight in the Spruce Goose across Long Beach harbor, Tom led the Air Force squadron that over flew the event. Tom was a pilot’s pilot, training many of the men that proudly represented our country across the globe.

Our flight:

As I got to know Tom better, I invited him to take a flight with me. After around 30 minutes in the air, I asked Tom if he would like to fly the Arrow. He politely said “sure,” and as is the custom, I replied, “you got it?” Tom had told me before the flight that he had not flown a plane in over 20 years, but he just relaxed into the task like it had been yesterday. That was a good day to be in the sky. I felt, even as a small link in the chain, that I was still a connected part to the grand history of aviation, flying in the same sky that the Wright Brothers had come to know.

That was not the last flight for Tom and I as we had a love of aviation to explore. Even when I continued to see him at the Fitness Center, he would always ask if I had been flying, tell me stories about his career, and remind me to “Fly as often as you can.”

Tom is in his nineties now, his health is not what it was, although he has set a fine example of good health for others. He has a supportive family, he often modestly brags about his five wonderful children, and his 87-year-old beautiful wife. He has been slender and fit his whole life. He did smoke as a young man, which was common at the time, but a bout with lung cancer many years ago ended that habit. He eats a good diet, and is always active. He had atrial fibrillation since I met him, but unlike most people, just took it in stride, occasionally telling me to take his pulse, and remark, “will you look at that?” never showing the slightest concern, or ever letting it affect his joy for being alive. Tom has a quiet courage, a respectful manor, and an optimistic spirit that exits to this day.

A time for giving thanks:

This seems to be the season for giving thanks, and I’m sure all of you are doing just that. I am thankful for many things, one being my meeting Tom and getting to know him and his family for the past several years. This also seems to be a season for parades. I had the occasion to be at an air show not that long ago where it felt like the Arrow and I were in a parade. When you watch the accompanying video, I suspect that Tom, as well as flying my plane, flew a plane like almost every one of those that you can see, and more.

There is a saying in aviation, “There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are very few old bold pilots!” Well, I have been privileged to know one old bold pilot.

Here’s a Thanksgiving parade for you, Colonel!

A Thanksgiving Parade for the Colonel is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

It has been a pretty warm fall in North Central Florida, with only one cold spell where the temperature dropped below freezing, so we have had many opportunities to spend time in nature.

A recent study by Jo Barton and Jules Pretty at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Environment and Society, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, in the United Kingdom, showed that even spending as little as five minutes exercising in a natural green space has the significant effect of improved mental health!

The Study:

“What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis,” published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology of the American Chemical Society, demonstrated that just five minutes of exercise in a park, working in a backyard garden, walking on a nature trail, or other green space will benefit mental health.

(CC) FLICKR/JEAN_CHRISTOPHE

This research assessed the exposure to green (in nature) exercise required to improve self-esteem and mood. The scientists analyzed 10 UK studies involving 1,252 participants.
They looked at activities such as walking, gardening, cycling, fishing, boating, horse-riding and farming. Every activity in a green environment improved both self-esteem and mood, with the additional presence of water showing even greater effects. Both men and women had similar improvements in self-esteem with men also having an improvement in mood. In addition, the results had both short- and long-term positive health effects.

Green exercise as medicine:

“We know from the literature that short-term mental health improvements are protective of long-term health benefits,” Pretty said. “So we believe that there would be a large potential benefit to individuals, society and to the costs of the health service if all groups of people were to self-medicate more with green exercise,” added Barton.

The Devil’s Millhopper:

I recently had the chance for a little mental resuscitation when I went to visit a local natural attraction called The Devil’s Millhopper.

The Devil’s Millhopper is a sinkhole that opened up in the 1800s when one of Florida’s many underground limestone caverns collapsed. It is 120 feet deep and 500 feet wide at the top. There are 236 steps down to the bottom of the sinkhole, and 236 steps back to the top. On the day I was there, a few people were taking advantage of those steps for a workout. There are several viewing platforms along the stairway to allow you to stop and appreciate the rich natural beauty of the Millhopper.

The feeling is that the Devil’s Millhopper got its name back in the 1880s. Farmers at that time would grind grain in a gristmill, which had a funnel-shaped opening at the top. They called these funnels “hoppers,” and the sinkhole is funnel-shaped.

The Devil part likely came from the superstitions of residents who first began investigating the sinkhole. After finding numerous fossils and sharks’ teeth in the formation they decided these had been left as an offering to the devil, and the name stuck to this day.

I made a video of my trip to this wonderful location. As well as going into the sinkhole, I also took a walk along the nature trail that runs through the park.

Visit green spaces where you can:

Do you have easily accessible green spaces where you live? Wherever I have been, I’ve always sought out the green and blue spaces. Even while I was in medical school in the center of a large city there was one tree that I could see from my apartment window. I found myself looking at that lonely tree quite often. Perhaps it is that primal part of us wanting to roam the savannah once again. Whatever it is, a part remains within all of us drawing us towards nature. Follow that feeling and no matter the reason, it will be empowering and now we know, good for your health.

Being in Nature and Green Exercise Benefit Mental Health is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

The day started off easily enough. The weather was beautiful and I had some free time, so I thought I would go for a short flight in the Arrow. I did my standard pre flight inspection and engine run up and everything seemed fine. After calling the control tower, I was cleared for a departure toward the east. I advanced the throttle to full power and with the cooler weather, the Arrow was airborne in no time. I was thinking about the pleasures of being a pilot when, without warning at 500 feet above the ground, the engine started to sputter and with its irregular performance, the plane began to shake and I felt the power decrease. I immediately focused in an eerie calmness, and began a slow turn right, knowing that as well as my departure runway, our airport had a second runway that I felt I could make for an emergency landing. “Fly the plane, be aware, fly the plane,” were the only thoughts in my formerly more scattered mind.

After about three very long seconds, the engine began to run more smoothly and I elected to continue to fly, although my mind was not nearly as filled with extraneous thoughts as it was minutes before. I’m glad to report the flight had a happy ending. At that point, I had time to reflect on what had happened and a saying I learned came to mind: “Nothing focuses the mind like impending doom.”

Leading an unhealthy lifestyle will lead to an unhappy ending:

Although it may not seem as dramatic or serious at this time, just as sure as that ground will come rushing up to meet your too-rapidly descending plane, if you are not paying attention to your wellness, your life will take a nosedive as inevitable health problems begin to strike.

I received a call the day after that flight from someone I had attempted to help several years ago. She was already quite obese and had the beginning signs of several problems caused by obesity. At the time I had talked to her about beginning a health and fitness program, but she was very resistant to my suggestions. Now she has metabolic syndrome, weight-related knee and foot problems, and is barely able to move around her own home. Her options at this point are very limited and even worse than a few years ago when I had first attempted to intervene.

The point of potential return:

The reason I knew the altitude when the engine sputtered is that I immediately looked at the altimeter; I knew from my training and experience that 500 feet above the ground may be the minimum altitude point at which it may be possible to make a 180 degree turn and return to the same runway I had just taken off from. The most dangerous part of flight is considered by most pilots to be takeoff and initial climb. 30 percent of fatal aircraft accidents occur during these initial phases. Trying to return to the airport from too low an altitude with a poorly operating engine all too often crosses that point of no return. Many pilots have attempted a 180 with an engine failure on takeoff and have crashed out of control and perished rather than landed straight ahead in a controlled crash, which has a much higher chance of being survivable.

Health recovery limits

Fortunately, with wellness there is not such a strict recovery limit, and you can make that critical turn back to the safety of the airport runway with positive actions to improve your health at almost anytime in your life. Although you will have a better chance of success and an improved likelihood of complete recovery if you focus your mind to the task as early as you can, it is never too late to make that decision to help yourself.

Please be proactive with your health and wellness decisions now when you are still in control of your craft and not at the mercy of the many morbidities that are looming. The results will be much better than if you wait for diseases to begin, or parts to break before making those changes to prevent the impending doom.

Focus your mind to the task at hand. If you need to lose weight or get more fit, you know it can be done. If you need to stop addictive behaviors, you must face that and do what needs to be done.

As for the Arrow, I just talked to my mechanic and everything about the plane is ready for our next adventure, hopefully not too adventurous.

Nothing Focuses the Mind like Impending Doom is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

I first learned about Lenny Bruce in college at a Dustin Hoffman film festival. He was, in a word, different in a shocking way, although I should have used a four letter word to describe him.

The way we use words is interesting. Words can have so much power, often perhaps, too much power. We seem to be living in a politically correct time where our chosen words can elevate us to the heights of celebration, or crush a successful career in a sentence. Lenny was the anti-word, the politically incorrect, the shining beacon dropped into the mud, the whisper in the hurricane’s wind.

I’ve written about the power of words before, and how they can help us on our wellness journey. For Lenny Bruce, some words had a painful edge, and he wanted to extinguish their power. He suggested that we should continually use those words until the pain they caused could no longer be felt. Kathie Snow is also aware of the pain words can cause, and she hopes we will learn to use them more kindly to empower people rather than use them to marginalize people and tear them down.

The world hasn’t gone the way of Lenny Bruce’s thinking, in fact it has gone the opposite way. We have become more attuned and reactive to the effects of words. Of course the law still officially separates my verbally assaulting someone, or even flipping off an officer, from my actually physically striking them.

Words as labels:

At an early age, my sister was called retarded. If she had been born earlier in history, she would have been called cretin, idiot, imbecile, or moron, terms that have diffused from medical usage into the blog world, from what I’ve read. Then she became mentally retarded, mentally handicapped, mentally challenged, and intellectually disabled. She avoided mental subnormality and mental deficiency by being born in the USA, and now she has a cognitive or intellectual disability. Tomorrow, who knows what the euphemism treadmill will churn out?

I don’t think she felt much different about which term she was labeled with. Her focus always seemed to be on living her life as best she could in order to grow to be the successful woman she has become.

Words affect our perception:

Like it or not, the words we use can have a significant effect on our thinking. Take, for example, this study on using medical terminology. The study from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, was designed to investigate the impact of medical terminology on people’s perceptions of disease. The researchers surveyed people about the seriousness of eight different medical conditions. They used different names to discuss the same disease. Half the time they identified the condition by its official medical term, and half the time they used its more common layman term. For example, hyperhidrosis versus excessive sweating. Interestingly, those people asked about the condition when they used medical terminology, perceived the condition as more serious.

Is there an answer?

I don’t think there is a simple answer, but as Lenny Bruce felt, I do wish words did not have so much power to upset or hurt people, and as Kathie Snow feels, I wish we could learn to use words with a kinder correctness.

Until that happens, I realize it’s difficult for people to completely insulate themselves from the power of words, but perhaps it will soften the effects if they look for the speaker’s intent or make a conscious effort not to become overly sensitive or vigilant to the verbal imperfections of others.

Lenny Bruce and the Hurtful Power of Words is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

Wanting to provide help to our dieting readers, I decided to pursue an investigation to discover the best diet to follow for weight loss. Because of the importance of avoiding a conflict of interest, I did not include my personal favorite: The Dr. J very hard diet.

The studies:

The first study I looked at was the now classic “Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone Diets for Weight Loss and Heart Disease Risk Reduction, A Randomized Trial” published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in January, 2005.

The results of Atkins vs. Ornish vs. Weight Watchers vs. Zone:

The average weight loss at one year was 10.56 lbs for Atkins, with 53 percent completing the study, 13.2 lbs for Zone with 65 percent completing the study. 10.78 lbs for Weight Watchers with 65 percent completing the study, and 16.06 lbs for Ornish with 50 percent completing the study.

Each diet in the study modestly reduced body weight at one year. The low rate of people who stayed with their particular diet for the entire year had the greatest weight loss in each group. In my opinion, if this was a horse race, the betters would be waiting for the results of the photo to see who was the winner at the finish.

Four Diets With Different Calorie/Fat/Protein/Carb Ratios

I then looked at a study that compared the possible advantage for weight loss with plans that varied the combinations of protein, fat, and carbohydrates in the prescribed diet.
“>This research was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in February 2009.

The researchers randomly assigned 811 overweight adults to one of four diets. The calories derived from fat, protein, and carbohydrates in the four diets were 20, 15, and six percent; 20, 25, and 55 percent; 40, 15, and 45 percent; and 40, 25, and 35 percent. All the diets consisted of similar food items. In addition, the dieters were offered group and individual instructional sessions for two years.

The results:

At six months, the dieters had lost an average of 13.2 lbs, or seven percent of their initial weight. The study groups began to regain weight after 12 months. The researchers felt that each reduced calorie diet resulted in a similar weight loss regardless of which macronutrient combination was used. Seems like another photo finish to me.

Pre-Prepared and Supplied Meal Substitute Diet

Lastly, I considered two just-published clinical trials of a commercial pre-prepared and supplied meal substitute that claimed to demonstrate effective weight loss strategies for obese and overweight adults.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, in a one-year intensive lifestyle intervention study of diet and physical activity, had 130 severely obese adult individuals follow one of two dietary plans. One group did a prescribed diet and physical activity for the entire 12 months, while the other group had the identical dietary intervention, but with physical activity delayed for six months.

“To facilitate dietary compliance and improve weight loss, liquid and pre-packaged meal replacements were provided at no cost for all but one meal per day during months one through three and for only one meal replacement per day during months four through six of the intervention,” the authors reported. In addition, small financial incentives were provided. The participants also received a combination of group, individual and telephone contacts as part of the program.

The results:

The group that started with the diet and physical activity lost more weight in the first six months than the delayed-activity group; however, the approximately 25 pound weight loss at 12 months was about the same in both groups. 78 percent completed the study.

2-Year Women’s Lifestyle Intervention Diet

In the second study, researchers from Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, California, conducted a randomized controlled trial of weight loss and weight maintenance in 442 overweight or obese women over a two year period.

The women were divided into three intervention groups: in-person, or telephone-based weekly one-to-one weight loss counseling, including free-of-charge prepackaged prepared foods and increased physical activity for 30 minutes a day, five days a week. The participants were eventually transitioned to a meal plan. The third group was the usual care group who received two individualized weight loss counseling sessions with a dietetics professional and monthly contacts. All participants were provided a small monetary compensation ($25) for each completed clinic visit.

The results, after two years:

At 24 months, 92.1 percent had completed the study. The average weight loss for the women participating in the center-based group was about 16 pounds or 7.9 percent of their initial weight, about 14 pounds or 6.8 percent for the telephone-based group, and about 4.5 pounds for the usual care control group.

“Findings from this study suggest that this incentivized structured weight loss program with free prepared meals can effectively promote weight loss compared with usual care group,” reported the possibly incentivized researchers.

The researchers claim that lifestyle interventions, including physical activity and structured weight loss programs, can result in weight loss for overweight, obese and severely obese adults. (And it also helps if you supply free meals and pay them.)

My results:

From what I can tell, it doesn’t matter which standard, well designed, non-fad diet you pick, each one of them in these studies gives comparable results. If you comply with the diet and do the math, you will lose weight. However, the amount of weight lost was, in my opinion, not very much.

Discussion:

I am concerned with this lowering of performance standards for weight loss. Even though all of these diets claim to work, I think the results are nowhere near impressive. Most of these diets basically enabled the dieter to lose less than 10 percent of their body weight in a year, and maintain a five percent loss in two years, unless free meals were supplied, the participants were paid, and intensive support and counseling was done.

In the morbidly obese individual, going from 300 to 280 pounds is almost meaningless from a health and wellness standpoint. Except in the first study, where the term modest was used, the researchers were proclaiming the successful amount of weight loss of the participants. In some ways, I feel this is a form of denial of the real goal they claim to be advocating.

Although some people may choose to interpret these results with the “diets do not work,” mantra, I do not see it that way. Other than the last two studies where the participants were given free food and also paid to lose weight, almost 50 percent of the dieters did not maintain the dietary constraint and commitment for anywhere near the length of the studies. It isn’t that diets do not work, it’s that people will not do the work. Many of you either read websites about individuals, or are individuals who have done a much more impressive job of becoming a healthy weight. These people applied the math. They used a plan of calorie-availability versus calorie-utilization. My thanks to all of you who have proved that it can be done and for reaching out to help others in their successes.

In the end, the best diet to follow is one that you will stick with. If it is a matter of finding what works for you, it doesn‘t really matter which diet you pick, what matters is which diet you will do.

Dr. J Advises on the Best Diet to Follow for Weight Loss is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

I think most of us would guess that pizza is America’s favorite food. Although not every pizza has a nutritional profile of 5,210 calories and 286g fat like this one, many of them are still extremely high in calories, sodium and fat. And eating one too often with, in my opinion, unhealthy toppings can have you topping off your scale at weigh-in time. I may be unusual, but I am very selective in how I order a pizza, and I look at it as an occasional treat, not an every-few-days event. Because of this I can, so to speak, have my pizza and eat it too!

How I do it:
When I get a pizza, I make certain requests of the chef di pizzeria that you can also apply whenever the pizza urge hits. That way you can still enjoy your meal, yet not derail your fitness efforts. Will this be a Chicago-style deep-dish cheese bomb? No, but it will also not be a cardboard Franken-pizza either!

1) Ask them to make it vegan:
If your favorite pizzeria knows how to make a vegan pizza, you are all set. Most of the requests I make are already taken care of if the pizza is vegan. This means no animal products such as meats, butter, or cheese.

2) Adjust the cheese:
Whenever I’ve traveled in Europe, where I believe pizza originated, it is very common to have no cheese pizzas. If you feel you cannot go without cheese, ask them to put much less on. You can probably trade out the cheese for a different ingredient also.

3) Minimize the meats:
Almost every meat product that is on a pizza is, well, bad for you! They are almost always high in saturated fats and salt. You can see if they have a non-meat product like tofu, seitan, or tempeh for additional protein if you want, just be aware that these products can be high in fat and salt also.

4) Make specific requests in regards to fat and salt.
It doesn’t hurt to ask about added fats and salt it you are concerned about these. When I asked them not to add salt to the pizza in the video, I was told that none of their pizzas have added salt.

5) Maximize the veggies:
Good, healthy toppings are what pizza is all about, so ask for anything and everything that you like. The shop in the video offered white and shiitake mushrooms, red and white onions, roasted red peppers, green peppers, banana peppers, artichoke hearts, pineapple, carrots, spinach, zucchini, broccoli, jalapenos, tomatoes, green and black olives, and I’m sure you can find others at your favorite local pizza kitchen.

A visit to Satchels:
I made a video of a recent trip to a local pizzeria, Satchel’s Pizza.

The 18 inch large pizza was made half vegan and half their regular way. The ingredients were:

• Mushrooms, white and shiitake
• Onions: red and white
• Roasted red peppers

If you look at the pizza in the video, and think of it as a clock with 12 o’clock at the top, the left side is the regular pizza, and the right side is vegan.

Buon appetito!

Making Pizza Healthier: Ordering Vegan and Video is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

The OAF in the room

One would think with an obvious truth like the obesity epidemic, society would be waging a serious war of action to cage and control this growing beast. Unfortunately, we don’t just have an elephant in the room, because as the elephant grows, in its shadow, so does the OAF in the room!

The Obesity Acceptance Factor (OAF):

The OAF started very insidiously. It quietly infiltrated most every corner of the room before even the more vigilant people began to take notice and sound the warnings. Over time, there were undercover discussions with occasionally more strident voices, yet nothing was ever done to prevent its happening. Now, our acceptance of obesity is so widespread that it is approaching normal, and our prior state of health and wellness is slowly being relegated to some aberration that used to be back in the day.

Interestingly, there is a group acknowledgment of the growth of obesity as evidenced by all the continual conversation and discussion about the problem, but at the same time, there is individual denial that the problem even exists, as evidenced by the widespread signs and symptoms.

Signs and symptoms:

The signs and symptoms of our society’s acceptance of obesity are everywhere. Have you noticed how mirrors are disappearing? Clothing is vanity sized where the original number scale is now meaningless. People’s increasing girth has prompted size inflation throughout the fashion and apparel industry. The clothing industry has conveniently accommodated expanding Americans by increasing sizes. For example, what once was a women’s size 8 is now a size 4, and today’s size 8 would have been a size 12. Men’s clothing also has expanded where pants that were formerly termed a “regular” now are called a “slim cut,” or “easy fit,” and baggy styles have become popular to accommodate our excess weight. I’ve even heard that shoes are undergoing the same type of size inflation.

I think most of us are familiar with the increases in the size of furniture, interiors of cars, ambulances, and even coffins to accommodate our now accepted enlargement.

Arthur Caplan, chairman of the ethics department at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, had this to say about these signs and symptoms: “On one hand, we have to make the world safe for a fatter population, but the more we adjust our world to accept our weight, the harder it is to motivate us to do the healthier thing and lose the weight. If we tacitly readjust our world, in some sense we are responding to reality. At the same time, there is no doubt that making those adjustments makes it easier to live bigger.”

The fat acceptance movement:

Initially, the principal goal of the fat acceptance movement was to decrease discrimination against people who are overweight and obese. However, along with this worthy goal came those whose mission leaned more toward the feeding of the OAF and the societal acceptance of obesity as a condition that has not been proven to be unhealthy, despite voluminous data to the contrary.

It has now even been shown that our misperception of overweight status can actually increase over time in tandem to the increase in the average BMI of the US population. It seems the more overweight the people around us become, the more our sense of normal weight is increased, and the less likely we are to consider ourselves overweight, even though according to medical standards we actually are. Unfortunately, as in today’s world, the majority of individuals we interact with on a regular basis are likely to be overweight or obese, and it becomes more and more difficult to remember what someone with a normal weight looks like.

The big bottom line:

It is difficult for me to believe even with our growing Obesity Acceptance Factor, that the elephant can remain unnoticed in the room, yet a preponderance of the heavy evidence does seem to be weighted in that direction. I’m afraid that our population is getting fatter, and the fatter we get, the less we seem to notice, and the less likely we seem to want to do anything about it.

I fear that rather than confront this problem, we have, as a society, chosen to concern ourselves with a myriad of irrelevant issues rather than honestly face, and diligently deal with, the real problem.

The Obesity Acceptance Factor is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

My close friend has been gaining weight for a while, and due to my concern for his health, I decided to broach the subject with him. I was very careful to express my views in a caring and tactful manner. It turned out quite well. He wasn’t offended, nor did he tell me it was none of my business. Nevertheless, his brief response did surprise me. He said, “Thank you for your concern, but I don’t think I’m fat!”

As it turns out, my friend is not alone in his misperception. A recent study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, has even given a name to this condition, “Body Size Misperception.” It refers to the difference between one’s self-perceived body size and ideal body sizes.

Body Size Misperception: The Study

The study, done by Dr. Tiffany M. Powell of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and her colleagues, investigated Body Size Misperception among 2,056 obese men and women who were participating in the Dallas Heart Study. The researchers evaluated the individuals’ body perceptions by having them look at a series of nine figures in a row, ranging from very thin to very obese, and first asking them to choose their ideal figure, and then to choose the figure that most resembled them. People who chose ideal body sizes that were the same or bigger than their actual obese body size were classified as having Body Size Misperception. This study found that eight percent tested positive for this condition. Prior studies have found the value in overweight individuals who misperceive their weight to be normal to range from 21 percent to as high as 46 percent.

Several problems seem to occur with people that have this perspective. Many of these individuals had previously undiagnosed medical problems. 44 percent had not seen a doctor at all in the past year, compared to 25 percent of those who accurately gauged their size. When the person with Body Size Misperception did see a health care provider, they were much less likely to discuss their diet, physical activity level, or whether they needed to lose weight.

In addition, those who felt this way were more likely to mistakenly say they felt more healthy than their peers of the same age, and they were less aware that they were at a high risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure. Also, two-thirds of the already obese respondents felt their lifetime risk of eventually becoming obese was low. The conclusion was that these individuals failed to recognize the need for weight loss or physical activity in regards to their health and wellness.

Unhealthy Body Image and Obesity

“Based on these findings,” Dr. Powell said, “physicians may want to take a step back before discussing lifestyle habits with their obese patients, and asking them first about how they perceive their weight and whether or not they think they need to lose weight. The fact that many of these people may not see a doctor at all also makes it important to reach out to them in the community.

“The study points to really a lack of understanding about the effects of obesity. You walk a fine line, because you don’t want people to necessarily have an unhealthy body image, but you also want people to understand that they need to lose weight.”

I remember watching a rerun of an old Mary Tyler Moore show where Mary confronted the overweight Mr. Grant about his weight. Interestingly, his response, “I appreciate your concern Mary, and if I ever think I am fat I will do something about it,” evoked laughter from the audience.

Unfortunately, because of the health and wellness repercussions of this viewpoint, it is no longer a laughing matter!

Body Size Misperception is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

I’m sure many of you have been following the amazing story of the trapped Chilean miners. As their struggle is coming to a miraculous end, the world is watching as the 33 miners are being brought back to the surface and reunited with their families.

The miners have been hoping for this rescue since an access tunnel caved in on August 5th trapping them.

Nothing like being buried a mile underground to inspire a little weight loss…

In order to extricate the men, a 2,040 foot shaft had to be slowly drilled down to their location. The escape tunnel could only be about 26 inches wide, about the diameter of a typical bike tire. In addition, a rescue basket to carry the miners to the surface would further reduce the available space in the shaft. Because of these space limitations, the men were told they all must meet a maximum waist circumference of no more than 35.4 inches (90 cm). Interestingly, the average American male’s waist is 39.4 inches (100 cm), and the average American female’s is 37 inches (94 cm).

From the first contact between the rescuers and the trapped men, they were told of this requirement and warned not to gain weight ant to lose weight if needed. A program including exercise and other activities to keep them from gaining weight was immediately instituted. In addition, they began eating a special diet recommended by NASA and doing additional exercises that were designed to aid their rescue as their escape drew nearer. Some of the men may have had to lose 20 pounds or more.

Motivation is as motivation does

Motivation is an interesting concept. It seems so unattainable at times, until something comes along that inspires us to look deep within and find what we had felt was impossible.

Of course it is not as extreme as being in a hole deep in the ground, but obesity will have significant effects on your life, nonetheless. It is well established that obesity causes a myriad of diseases and problems which, as sure as being in that mine, will negatively affect your life. Just as those miners were living a limited life, so is the person with obesity.

There is so much more that you can experience and so much more that you can be.

Yes, it may be a long way from where you are to where you want to be, but every day you wait, it becomes one less day you have to reach the surface. One more day of being trapped in that mine. One step at a time, one foot at a time, there is a way out. You just have to start climbing. I know that in many ways it feels like you are looking up that skinny hole that is preventing you from reaching your freedom, but it can be done. Others have done it, and so can you. CalorieLab is here to support and help guide your efforts. We want to help with your climb to health and wellness. We strive to be your light at the end of the tunnel. Together we will see the light of a new day.

The Chilean Miner Diet is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

The obesity epidemic and its attendant increases in multiple debilitating illnesses is a serious issue facing all of us. I have stated many times how I wish society in general would be more helpful to everyone struggling with this problem. Unfortunately, not only is that not going to happen, but it seems that society will do everything it can to prevent any helpful changes from occurring.

Recently, in her inaugural lecture, Professor Elizabeth Murphy,
Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of the University of Leicester’s College
of Social Science, a leading social scientist, made the point that society’s desire for its lifestyle choices and freedoms creates a significant limit on the effectiveness of any positive public health intervention.

Public health issues have previously been much more amenable to governmental actions, for example, improving sanitation or air quality,
or controlling infectious disease. The use of vaccinations against small
pox and polio were some of the greatest triumphs in the history of
medicine.

Today’s Issues

The issues of today, however, like lack of exercise, smoking, drinking
alcohol, and an unhealthy diet, have demonstrated that legislation is
not very effective in tackling these problems, as these health issues
are closely tied in with an individual’s lifestyle choices and freedom.

Over the last 50 years there has been a significant change in both
public health interventions and clinical medicine, with a much greater
emphasis on attempting to prevent non-infectious and chronic health
conditions directly attributable to lifestyle behaviors, such as
cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. The problem with this
prevention is that much of it relies on the compliance of the
individual in following the warnings and using the information provided
to them.

Disease and illness are not only personal and family tragedies. They
also significantly effect the welfare, day to day living, and
productivity of the entire population.

Promoting Wellness in a Free State?

Is it possible, within a free state, to promote the health and wellness
of the population without excessive limiting of individual choice and
freedoms? Unfortunately, if one looks at the data, although some areas
have seen slight progress, and some individuals have benefited, the
impact on the continual growth of obesity has been relatively
insignificant.

In many ways I feel that it is our addictive freedoms that, as a
population, doom us.

Swelling Opinion Versus a Swelling Public

Perhaps the answer is a more quiet coercion, a more underground swell
of growing healthy public opinion that will eventually persuade the
masses to make the better lifestyle choices. It is obvious that
governmental interventions are not working. I would suggest that future
interventions would consider the idea of incentives, and be slanted
towards encouraging or possibly manipulating people, not of a punitive
nature.

It is all in the Health Choices we Make

I’m guessing that society will not be heading to that brave new world
anytime soon, so that leaves us with some difficult choices that we
must make for the most part by ourselves. We will first have to
recognize the problem of our unhealthy relationship with food, and low
activity levels, and second, we will have to take the more difficult,
challenging path as the world will continually work against our being
successful. Whether we will make this effort is up to each and every
one of us.

Is Our Freedom to Choose Hurting Us? is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

Stuck on the Tracks

I’m probably unusual this way, but I do not stop to gawk at what I generically term “train wrecks,“ unless I am early on the scene and I feel that I might be useful in helping the injured. Accidents do not fascinate me, stopping or slowing down to see the damage only contributes to the hazards of the situation, and the victims will arrive at the emergency room soon enough where myself or other trauma surgeons can do some real good.

Stuck in Life

I have found myself having the same reaction with some of the websites I read. The writers are stuck, and the trains-a-coming down the tracks! I want to just drive on by and visit websites written by people who are making better progress with the promises they have made to themselves and their readers.

However, unlike with the real wrecks, I do keep going back, hopefully not as a morbidly curious voyeur, but rather as someone who cares and tries to offer helpful advice, because unlike a train wreck, this potential damage can still be reversed prior to needing that ambulance ride to the ER.

It’s tough when you are stuck in some area of your life. You want to change, but it just doesn’t happen. You find yourself tediously saying the same promises to yourself, saying the same repetitive excuses. The same hope-filled claims of trying to change for the better are spoken yet never actualized.

The good news with trains is that they are restricted to their railroad tracks. If you are struck on that track in harm’s way, you can escape that wreck by getting off and going on to a better pathway.

Getting Unstuck and off the Track

Most of us find ourselves stuck in some area of our lives at times. It isn’t easy, but during those periods we can do things to help us get in motion again. To do this, you must first be open to being different. If you expect to keep being the same, and things are going to change for the better on their own, it is not going to happen. You also need to become aware of secondary gains that could keep you stuck because they provide some reward for you, such as sympathy and care from others, or allowing you to avoid facing unpleasant, but necessary responsibilities.

Stop, Look, and Listen

First, you must be sincerely committed to stop being stuck. Second, you must be willing to take an honest look at your situation. Third, you must learn to listen to your inner voice crying out for you to be different.

Some Steps to Get on a Better Track

1. Do not use excuses as your go-to defense for not taking advantage of opportunities. If excuses are the the banner you wear, or flag you wave, lose them.
2. Do not continually express your fears. Fear is a stern master and you will remain its slave. Do not express your fear of rejection or failure. Doing so will get in the way of the actions you need to take to change your behaviors.
3. Negativity is your worst friend. Stop constantly saying negative things about yourself.
4. Stop saying “yes, but” to every piece of advice given to you. Some of the advice must be alright.
5. Stop saying why you fail at things. Talk about reasons to succeed, not reasons why you can’t.
6. Stop talking about how circumstances, situations, or people are to blame for your shortcomings. Take responsibility and move on to become what you can be.
7. Do not use the expression, “I am trying.” Perhaps at one time this meant action, but now it has become an overused excuse to allow failure.
8. Stop rationalizing and offering reasons for not being what you claim you want to be.
9. Instead of predicting the worst outcome in every situation for yourself, predict the outcome that you want to occur.
10. Make your mantra “I am doing it,” not “I am going to do it.”

In the end, you just have to do it. As with every journey, it begins with that single step.

How to Get Moving Again When You Feel Stuck is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News