Live & Be Well

03/15/2022

Intermittent Fasting: make it work for you!
By Alisa Cooper

Through the ages, humans have adapted to periods of feast and famine. Nowadays, it is thought 3 square meals are needed for optimal functioning. Recent research shows that giving your body a break from the metabolic demands of digestion can have a multitude of health benefits.
Consuming all of your daily food within a restricted window of time, 8 hours for instance, is known as time-restricted eating or intermittent fasting. While the specifics can vary, providing periods of digestive respite has been shown to repair DNA, kill off senescent (sick, old) cells, quell systemic inflammation, and reduce cellular debris implicated in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It has also been shown to promote restful sleep, enhance detoxification, improve insulin sensitivity, enhance cardiovascular health, and help maintain circadian rhythms (sleep/wake cycles) vital for mood and immune system function. In addition to the obvious health benefits, one can also glean valuable life lessons from waiting to eat. Here are some facts, tips and strategies to make it doable for you!

1. You CAN lose weight and keep it off.
Those who have dabbled in popular fad diets over the years and failed are finding success with consistent intermittent fasting. One woman went 6 months eating a low-carb diet and didn’t lose 7 ounces let alone the 7 pounds her medical doctor said would help her escape the pre-diabetic range. Like many women at mid-life, she blamed her inability to lose weight on menopause. One year into intermittent fasting, she is down 10 pounds, has reduced her A1C and LDL levels and has sparked a surge in her anti-aging HGH (human growth hormone) level. With intermittent fasting, people describe no longer feeling like their weight loss goals are a carrot dangling just out of reach.
2. The body fluctuates.
Some days, you are full of energy and it is easy to go a full 16 hours without eating. Other days, you feel spacey, sluggish, and can’t concentrate. On those days, you can cut the fasting by an hour and focus on accomplishing easier tasks. You might even indulge in a short nap or spend 15 minutes meditating. If you tend to plow through your day despite your body’s subtle, or not-so-subtle, cries for relief, intermittent fasting teaches you to respect the ebb and flow of your fluctuating physiology.
3 The voices in your head can be silenced.
While intermittent fasting, you may hear a voice in your head saying, “You are not going to be able to wait another hour.” “You don’t have the self-discipline for this.” Or, “You can’t keep this up.” Whose voice is that? Perhaps it is the DEVIL, Beelzebub himself, disguised as your own thoughts and beliefs, whispering words of sabotage and defeat in your ear. Why not mentally retort, “Yes, I can wait another hour, just you watch!” and “You’re not the boss of me!” For good measure, try hurling a hefty expletive at the devil, and watch as he slinks away momentarily beaten. The point is, you can quiet the negative voices in your head, and so be it if you get creative doing so.
4. Staying flexible makes it possible.
Do you prefer to stick with the plan, follow the rules, stay the course? Well, intermittent fasting requires flexibility, especially in the context of a busy life where schedules change, social events arise, and outside influences exist. If you want a social life, you are going to have to learn to go with the flow. If you are getting together with friends on a Saturday night, for example, you might not eat until 8pm and have to wait until noon the next day to eat again. (Heck, you can snooze through a chunk of that fasting time by sleeping in on Sunday morning). You might try fasting 12 hours on week days and go 16 hours on the weekends. Or, fast all day one day a week. You can design this lifestyle to fit your own needs. There is no right or wrong way to do it; flexibility makes it sustainable.
5. Do what you love to do.
It is challenging to be productive when you are famished. While any activity can provide distraction, some do it better than others. Bottom line: It’s easier to fast if you are doing something you really enjoy. Those who wait until their work is completed before doing anything remotely enjoyable often find they have little, if any, time left over for pleasure. Intermittent eaters learn to do *fulfilling activities while fasting and save mentally demanding tasks until after they’ve eaten. The result? Their days are enjoyable AND productive.
*Look at the word fulfilling/ full-filling. No wonder favored activities sustain you so well while fasting.
6. Being prepared pays off.
When you are intermittent fasting, you want to eat immediately when the fast is over. You don’t want to have to think about what to prepare. You have to prepare ahead. One busy mom is now making her own breakfast and lunch while preparing breakfast and lunch for her kids. Now, she is at ease with fasting knowing food is on hand; she just digs in and enjoys. When you are fasting, your blood sugar may occasionally dip, but you will never be at its mercy, grabbing whatever you can get your hands on to pull yourself out of a hypoglycemic state. Like a good scout, you are prepared!
7. You need not fear the Big Bad Wolf.
What is that gurgling, growling sound the stomach makes while fasting? It is the MMC, or migratory motor complex, similar to the peristaltic waves that occur during digestion to move food along the GI tract. While fasting, the migratory motor movements stimulate the digestive tract to release waste and harmful bacteria. When responding to a patient who was worried the growling sound might mean something going awry, a doctor encouraged, “Think of the growling as your body serving up a plate of your own fat to fuel its energy needs.” Now the patient embraces the growling.
8. It is smart to try different approaches.
For example, when restricting eating to an 8-hour window, it is best to curtail eating 3 hours before going to bed. After all, it is hard to digest while sleeping and hard to sleep while digesting. Another way to make fasting more effective is to limit your intake of simple carbohydrates. When you consume too many carbs, your blood sugar may be erratic the next day, making fasting more difficult. You can also try exercising while fasting to amplify the results. Fasting is also more effective when you are well hydrated. Experiment to find what works best for you.
9. Take care of yourself by minding contraindications.
If you are taking medications for heart disease or high blood pressure, or you have diabetes, it is important to talk to your doctor about giving intermittent fasting a try as skipping meals can be dangerous or result in electrolyte imbalance in these instances. Don’t do intermittent fasting if you are underweight, have an eating disorder, are under 18 years of age, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
10. Delaying gratification is good for you.
People favor immediate reward; no one likes to wait to be gratified. When forced to wait, people get frustrated, are quick to anger, and may demonstrate inferior coping skills. Intermittent fasting requires you to wait for the restricted time window to end. Over time, it teaches you how to wait successfully, restoring the virtue of patience. You appreciate what you get because you have waited for it. You savor your food and enjoy it ever so much more, and you are thankful for it. Dare it be said, you are a better person for it.

[https://www.mercola.com/calendar/2018/fasting.htm]
[https://www.dietdoctor.com/intermittent-fasting]
[https://www.dietdoctor.com/7-benefits-of-fasting]
[https://hackyourgut.com/2017/03/06/the-ultimate-guide-to-fasting-for-gut-health/]
[https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/intermittent-fasting-surprising-update-2018062914156]
[https://centerfordiscovery.com/blog/the-dangers-of-intermittent-fasting/[

08/11/2021

Beauty From Within
by Dr. Alisa Cooper

Food can nourish us or poison us. It can tear us down and deplete us, or fortify and infuse us with energy. Food can rob your youthful luster, or ensure a healthy glow well into your later years. The foods needed for good skin; those that enhance collagen production, reduce inflammation, and quell oxidative damage, are the same foods that maximize vibrant good health. Two for the price of one!

It all starts with what you put into your mouth. After all, we are what we eat! It’s like filling your car with gas; to get the best performance, you have to use quality fuel. Eating for beauty boils down to eating fewer low-quality, nutrient-poor, sugar-laden, processed, fried foods and more quality, nutrient-dense, wholesome, natural, colorful, lean, clean, organic, fresh foods. Sound overwhelming? Let’s break it down into 5 simple steps.

Step one: Eat fewer unfavorable carbs and more favorable ones.

Unfavorable carbohydrates turn quickly to sugar in the body and cause insulin levels to spike. This increases appetite and signals the body to store fat rather than burn it for energy. Examples of unfavorable carbohydrates are white bread, tortillas, pasta, potatoes, rice, muffins, bagels, pretzels, chips, cake, candy, cookies, pies, soda, sugary fruit drinks, and sweetened coffee beverages. These offenders wreak havoc on your insulin levels, destroy your health, set you up for type 2 diabetes, and rob your vitality, looks, and luster with every bite.

Favorable carbohydrates are more complex in structure and take longer to digest. This means their inherent sugar and starch enter the bloodstream more slowly. This is favorable because it tempers the insulin response and stabilizes glucose levels. It also contributes to a healthy, resilient, lustrous complexion by warding off inflammation and subsequent skin cell damage. Favorable carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, brown rice, peas, beans and lentils.

Bottom line: Eat more fruits and veggies; nearly every colorful fruit and vegetable will do wonders for your skin.

Step 2: Eat adequate lean protein.

Most of our protein comes from animals, but there are vegetarian sources like tofu, tempeh, soy “meat” substitutes and protein powder made from soy, h**p, rice, or peas. Regardless of the source, protein is needed for growth, healing, and repair. A lack of adequate protein in the diet causes a loss of muscle tone and bone density, and it can weaken the skin, hair, and nails. It is agonizing to see your skin sag and hang!

Choose skinless chicken or turkey, fish, tofu, egg whites, low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt, and lean beef on occasion. Incorporate nuts, nut butters, seeds, lentils, chickpeas, nutritional yeast, and quinoa into your diet. Vegetables with the highest amounts of protein include broccoli, spinach, asparagus, artichokes, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. If you’re over 40, and certainly over 50, consider taking a digestive enzyme supplement with meals to ensure adequate absorption and assimilation of proteins, the hardest macromolecule to digest.

Bottom line: Make sure you are getting enough protein to avoid being on the fast track to showing signs of premature aging.

Step 3: Eat a small amount of healthy fat at every meal.

You need to eat fat to burn fat. I’ve been saying that for decades! Fat makes food tasty and is satiating, meaning it can satisfy your appetite and possibly prevent overeating. Beyond our waistlines, we need healthy fats for our complexions. A fatty acid deficiency will result in dry, scaly, flaky, itchy, rough skin vulnerable to sun damage, loss of elasticity, and immune suppression.

It is not hard to incorporate a healthy source of fat at every meal. Examples are extra virgin olive oil, raw nuts and seeds, freshly ground flaxseeds, avocados, and cold-water, wild-caught fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, and halibut. A pure, high-quality fish oil supplement is an adequate substitute for those who do not like fish.

Fats to avoid are the ones that create an inflammatory response within the skin and body. These include trans fats like margarine, hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated oils, egg yolks in excess, all fried foods, and processed meats, sausage, and bacon.

Bottom line: Smooth, supple skin requires the intake of small amounts of healthy fats on a daily basis.

Step 4: Eat a LOT less sugar.

Sugar is incredibly damaging to your skin because of its deleterious effect on collagen. Collagen is the structural protein that provides strength, support, flexibility, and form to our tissues and skin. As we age, our collagen starts to break down, a process greatly accelerated by excessive sun exposure. Science reveals that ingested sugar binds to the protein in our collagen via a process known as glycation.

Glycated hemoglobin is sugar lobbed on to the protein inside your red blood cells. When you get your A1C result back on a blood test, it tells the doctor how much of the hemoglobin in your red blood cells is clumped up with sugar. The higher the A1C, the more clumping and the closer you creep towards type 2 diabetes and the degeneration of your health. When sugar glycates to your collagen, you can kiss your looks goodbye as it leads to skin stiffness, sagging, and wrinkling. The glycation process is thought to be irreversible, so prevention is key. The solution is sticking to a wholesome, balanced diet. It’s hard to find room for candy and cake when you are eating a plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables, adequate, high-quality proteins, and healthy fats!

Bottom line: Sugar is the devil in disguise. Show him no sympathy, and tell him to f% off!

Step 5: Take a holistic approach.

Food is foundational, but it is impossible to look your best unless you also get adequate sleep, plenty of fresh, pure water each day, and a moderate amount of consistent exercise. To help you achieve vibrant good health and beauty from within, go to LiveAndBeWell.com and download my 10 Steps to a Whole New You. It’s free! Or click https://www.liveandbewell.com/patient-store.html to access my supplement dispensary for a 20% discount, free shipping on orders over $49, and professional guidance.

Bottom Line: A comprehensive approach works best, and it is okay to seek help, guidance, and inspiration on your journey!

08/27/2020

Ten Steps to a Whole New You!
By Dr. Alisa Cooper

Energy, vitality, longevity. As a wellness coach, people ask me what they can do right now to feel energized, look amazing and ward off the “inevitable” degenerative diseases associated with getting older. While there is no quick-fix answer, there are some fairly simple strategies that can yield rapid, impressive results. I have included my top ten favorites here for you. While some people are ready to jump in and revamp their lifestyles, many feel overwhelmed and intimidated; most fall somewhere in between.

Your best bet is to pick one or two strategies you think you can be most successful at. Start there, witness some tangible results, and your confidence will increase. When you begin to feel a positive change in your health and outlook, you will be more likely to embrace additional strategies. “A body in motion stays in motion,” and that is so true when you are on a roll! Once you get going with implementing these tips, you’ll be excited, and it’s going to build on itself. So, get off those rolls, and get rolling with this!

1. Strive to eat 5-8 fruits and vegetables a day. Strive for a rainbow of colors such as the bright red of red peppers, the glorious green of green beans, the outstanding orange of carrots, the bright yellow of a nice, ripe banana or the amazing magenta of juiced beets! Try some you have never eaten before. Variety is important if you want to get the full complement of vitamins, minerals and enzymes from your plant foods.

2. Balance each meal so that your plate consists mostly (about 2/3 full) of favorable carbohydrates like vegetables and salad, 1/3 contains a high quality, low-fat protein about the size of your palm like a piece of broiled salmon or baked chicken breast. Then, top off the meal with a small amount of good fat like a tablespoon of olive or coconut oil, a few almonds or walnuts, or a couple of slices of avocado.

3. Be a label reader! Don’t put anything in your shopping cart that contains hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Avoid foods that have a long list of ingredients that are hard to pronounce or sound like chemicals. The simplest foods have the fewest ingredients and are the closest to nature.

4. Give up fried foods in favor of those that are baked, broiled, sauteed or grilled. Frying requires heating oil to very high temperatures that can change healthy fats into dangerous substances that contribute to the formation of free radicals in the body.

5. Cut way, way back on the evil twins: white flour and sugar and anything made from them. Replacing white bread with sprouted whole grain bread is a step in the right direction. Eventually, you will want to break away from the belief that you need bread with this or need a roll with that. Those are just destructive fillers with no nutrient value. On the other hand, filling up on fibrous fruits and vegetables will keep hunger at bay while providing the nutrition your body truly needs.

Reducing sugar is an absolute must! Although you may not believe it right now, you can get used to having less sugar in your diet, but it does take some time. Be patient with yourself and realize these changes will not happen overnight. Keep moving in a positive, forward direction. But, please DO NOT eat or drink anything that contains aspartame (Equal) or Splenda. Studies reveal a multitude of dangerous side effects from the consistent consumption of artificial sweeteners ranging from weight gain to multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s.

I'll post the final 5 steps later this week!

04/07/2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDveXMjrEqU

These are tough times! During the quarantine people will invariably binge or engage in emotional eating. Clinical nutritionist, Dr. Alisa Cooper, shares her ...

03/11/2020

Resveratrol: Don't be an "arse," add it to your anti-aging arsenal!
by Dr. Alisa Cooper

A growing body of evidence is shedding light on the remarkable health benefits of resveratrol. Discovered nearly 8 decades ago and the subject of hundreds of studies, resveratrol has proven safe and effective in treating and preventing many serious diseases.

Resveratrol is a natural compound found in grape skins, red wine, berries and pistachio nuts, infusing them with taste and scent. Although it’s found naturally in some foods and red wine, you would have to drink 3 gallons of wine daily, and that is not my recommendation! Resveratrol supplements may provide the best way to reap the rewards of this promising, medicinal compound.

Resveratrol is a potent anti-oxidant.This means it destroys dangerous, unstable molecules produced during normal metabolism, protecting cells from oxidative damage. For example, when cholesterol is oxidized, it becomes far more treacherous. Oxidized LDL damages the linings of your blood vessels. Resveratrol decreases oxidation of your LDL, or bad cholesterol, while increasing HDL,the good cholesterol.

Resveratrol's anti-inflammatory properties help protect you from arterial damage and blockages. How? Well, it makes your platelets less sticky, so they are not as likely to form dangerous clots that can break off and lodge in the heart or lungs. Resveratrol promotes relaxation of small blood vessels and decreases the incidence of abnormal heart rhythms. It also helps the body produce nitric oxide, a natural chemical that dilates your blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. Collectively, these mechanisms help prevent serious cardiac events and stroke.

Besides being an antioxidant, resveratrol has potent anti-inflammatory properties, and inflammation contributes to aging. Genetic research has revealed “inflammation-related genes” that are linked to diseases of aging such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cognitive disorders and various cancers.

Unsure resveratrol will work as an anti-inflammatory for you? The answer may lie with CRP, or C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation measured on routine blood testing. Check your CRP level before you start taking resveratrol and then again after 6 months.You and your doctor may be pleasantly surprised to see an elevated CRP level start to normalize.

Resveratrol may contribute to cancer prevention and treatment. Animal studies show it can protect against the growth of tumors. It can safely be taken during chemotherapy and has been shown to protect the body from damage caused by cancer treatments. Although human clinical trials have yielded positive findings, further research is needed.

Resveratrol may help those with type 2 diabetes.It can lower fasting glucose levels, reduce A1C levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and promote tissue and wound healing. It is also effective at reducing periodontal disease, a proven risk factor for diabetes!

Resveratrol shows promise in treating Alzheimer’s disease. In part, Alzheimer’s involves the accumulation of beta-amyloid, a naturally occurring protein that can form plaques that collect between neurons and sabotage their function. Normally, the plaques are cleared from the body during sleep, but some people lack the enzymes needed to remove these harmful substances. It appears that resveratrol can break down beta-amyloid so it can be cleared more readily. With Alzheimer’s on the rise, this may be reason enough to make resveratrol part of your daily supplement regime.

Resveratrol may sound like a miracle supplement, yet for all its benefits it is not a panacea. Nothing is. To promote healthy aging, you have to embrace healthy dietary and lifestyle strategies. Nothing replaces a wholesome, well-balanced diet, consistent physical activity, adequate, refreshing sleep, a support network of family and friends, and a calm, untroubled mind.

Supplements are, quite literally, an add on to a healthy lifestyle. Resveratrol, like other anti-aging nutrients, provides “something extra” --an edge—that allows you to take your health to its optimal potential. Resveratrol is safe when taken within the lower range of the recommended dosage. Resveratrol is not recommended for people taking blood thinners, unless their doctor approves its use.

So, if healthy aging is your goal, and you are looking for a safe anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory supplement that can help prevent dementia while staving off diabetes, cardiovascular disease and possibly cancer, resveratrol may be the right choice for you.

02/24/2020

Top 10 Roles Played by this Leading Actor: Vitamin D

Vitamin D is quite the buzzword these days! You’ve been hearing bout it for the past few years and wondering how this vitamin got promoted to super nutrient, right? Well, science has discovered that Vitamin D regulates over 200 genes, meaning its presence or lack can turn on or off various genes with considerable affect to health and well-being. Over 35 different bodily tissues have Vitamin D receptors, so its influence is widespread and diverse. No wonder it is considered more of a hormone than an actual vitamin.

I could give you 20, but I’ve selected the top 10 biologically diverse roles played by this literal superstar. If you decide you want to start taking Vitamin D, please read the caveat at the end.

1. It improves bone health, in part, by increasing the absorption of calcium by the intestines.
2. It bolsters the immune system and prevents bacterial and viral infections. It activates NK (Natural Killer) cells that attack foreign pathogens.
3. It helps prevent cancers by blocking blood supply to tumors, preventing metastasis, and by keeping cell division from getting out of control.
4. It reduces your risk for heart disease by preventing the formation of sticky plaque that can clog arteries. It also lowers cholesterol levels and keeps blood pressure in check.
4. It lengthens your telomeres. Huh? Telomeres! These are the caps at the end of your genes, not unlike the plastic ends of shoelaces, that prevent DNA damage that leads to premature aging. The longer your telomeres, the longer your potential lifespan. Vitamin D helps lengthen your telomeres which naturally shorten over time.
5. Clinical trials show optimal Vitamin D levels may improve depression and reduce anxiety.
6. Vitamin D may help with pain since deficient levels are linked to fibromyalgia, bone pain, and muscle pain.
7. It quells inflammation by inhibiting production of inflammatory molecules in the body.
8. It helps regulate hormones including estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and DHEA.
9. It often helps improve energy since low Vitamin D is linked to anemia, chronic fatigue and muscle weakness.
10. It can play a role in preventing dementia since low Vitamin D doubles the risk of developing severe cognitive decline. It protects the brain from the damaging effects of neuro-inflammation.

It is interesting (but sad) that the normally-accepted range for Vitamin D3 on a typical blood test is far from the optimal range.So, you think you’re fine because your doctor, or the lab, hasn’t red-flagged you. Conversely, too much of a good thing is no good. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient, meaning you can’t just p*e out what your body doesn’t need or use like you can with Vitamin C or the B Vitamins. Bottom line, you must get your Vit D3 levels checked before starting on a Vitamin D supplement. Once you do, let’s talk about your result and getting you on the right supplement!

02/06/2020

Dr. Alisa, I am trying this intermittent fasting thing. How should I break my fast?

For those unfamiliar with intermittent fasting, it generally involves doing all your eating within a particular time frame. Some people fast for 12 hours after their last meal. Some go 14 or even 16 hours from the last morsel they put in their mouth that day until they break their fast the following day. Let's say, for example, you want to restrict your eating to an 8-hour time frame, and you finish dinner at 6 pm in the evening, you would wait until 10 am the next day to break your fast. That way, all your eating was accomplished between 10 am and 6 pm... 8 hours! If you curtail eating by 5 pm, you would break your fast at 9 am the next day, and so forth.

When you break your fast, it is advisable to refuel your body with healthy, wholesome foods. No junk food or packaged, processed foods laden with unwanted ingredients or unhealthy fats. If you are intermittent fasting, chances are you know that already! So, my advice is not so much what to eat but how to eat it. Eat slowly, reverently, mindfully. Chew your food thoroughly and enjoy the taste, aroma and sensation. Feel it nurturing every cell in your body.

I know you are hungry, but don't woof it down like an animal!

Digestion begins in the mouth with the enzymes that saliva provides. Give the food some time in your mouth before swallowing. Don't dilute your digestive enzymes by drinking copious amounts of liquid while eating either. Chew your food enough so that it is practically a liquid, and then drink your water, tea or coffee a bit later. Bottom line: ease into eating when breaking your fast by chewing mindfully and enjoying a leisurely, healthy meal.

REPLY

04/30/2019

My most recent article appeared in Natural Awakenings magazine!

Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online. Easily share your publications and get them in front of Issuu’s millions of monthly readers. Title: Natural Awakenings Phoenix & Northern Arizona, May 2019 Edition, Autho...

02/13/2019

“The patient presented with painful oral sores. She was beside herself and said she was ready to cut her head off. A biopsy revealed oral lichen planus.” Dr. Nakata, periodontist.

Oral health must never be taken for granted! Your systemic health effects your oral cavity, and your oral cavity effects your general health.. Here is the abridged abstract from my latest oral health care article..

A Review of Oral Lichen Planus for the Dental Professional
by Alisa Joy Cooper*

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an inflammatory, autoimmune disorder.. It is a chronic, recurrent condition of unknown origin that typically affects middle-aged, Caucasian women. It can be asymptomatic or range from mild to severe in its presentation. At its worst, patients have difficulty eating, speaking and maintaining the level of oral hygiene necessary to keep the condition at bay. Quality of life and mental outlook may be adversely affected, especially for those with areas of involvement outside the oral cavity and who worry about lesions becoming cancerous.

This article provides a brief overview of basic pathology, common clinical sub-types, and OLP’s potential for becoming malignant. Precipitating factors of OLP are reviewed along with treatment strategies. Also discussed are the significant side effects of commonly used modalities and medications in OLP management, particularly corticosteroids in their various forms.

Lycopene, curcumin, aloe vera, and green tea are natural treatments noted for their anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-carcinogenic properties. They have demonstrated the ability to decrease OLP symptoms without causing serious side effects.

ClōSYS oral health care products, presented here via patients' shared experiences, offer a safe, effective way to minimize OLP lesions while maximizing oral health. Helping patients overcome the pain, discomfort and impediment to well being posed by this challenging condition is paramount to the treatment of OLP.

10/11/2018

Diabetes: all roads don’t have to lead there

by Alisa Cooper, D.C.

The perfect storm for developing diabetes is a high percentage of body fat, stress, inactivity, toxicity, and systemic inflammation. One of the most toxic substances we are liberally ingesting is high fructose corn syrup. Americans ingest 60 pounds of genetically modified high fructose corn syrup per person per year, and its consumption has increased more than 1,000 percent in the last few decades. Unfortunately, it causes insulin resistance which can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes.

While high fructose corn syrup is the leading sweetener used in most popular drinks, it is not the only problem with sugary beverages. It turns out that drinking your sugar is far worse than eating it! Why? The body does a poor job of sensing liquid calories. When it does not sense it has eaten, the body responds by increasing appetite, compelling you to eat more, gain weight, and be more likely to develop type-2 diabetes.

It is so easy, and common, to gain 5-10 pounds as one progresses from their 40’s to their 50’s and into their 60’s. Hormonal changes, lack of physical activity, environmental toxicity, artificial sweeteners (not to mention, again, high fructose corn syrup), aging, genetic predispositions, and the generous indulgence in a high carbohydrate diet can really pack on the pounds. It is a well-known fact in the nutritional community that a mere 7 pounds can tip the balance from the seemingly innocuous (which it isn’t) pre-diabetes to full-fledged type 2 diabetes! A mere 7 pounds.

Have you heard the buzz-term: metabolic syndrome? While not a disease per se, metabolic syndrome is a cluster of health aberrations that include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, unhealthy cholesterol levels and a preponderance of abdominal fat, all converging on a human being at one time! This gruesome grouping puts a person at risk for developing heart disease and, you guessed it, type-2 diabetes.

Interestingly, statistics show that women who drink two or more sugary beverages per day are 4X more likely to develop high triglyceride levels than those who don’t. And you thought high triglyceride levels were a result of eating too much fat! Drinking sweetened beverages also raises your blood glucose levels, and…all roads seem to lead to type 2 diabetes!

When it comes to diabetes, we are being lulled into a false sense of security due to misinformation regarding blood test results. If your blood glucose falls between 80-120 mg/dl, you may be told all is reasonably well. You will not likely be told that damage to your blood vessel linings occurs at the level of 90 mg/dl. Put another way, the damage of diabetes is going on even within the currently accepted normal range! Actually, an out of range (fasting) blood glucose may not show up until the cells of the pancreas responsible for insulin production are already damaged.

Take a good look at your last blood report. Did your doctor check your A1C (glycosylated hemoglobin)? A result greater than 5.5 reflects a person approaching diabetes and should be taken seriously. Look also at the measurement of GGT included on most routine blood chemistry profiles. It is a bio-marker of toxin exposure. If your GGT level is greater than 50, you are 50X more likely to develop diabetes. We need to use these simple blood parameters to motivate, monitor and ultimately prevent this disease!

There are some interesting facts about popular medications and diabetes that are not commonly known to the general public. For instance, did you know that thiazide diuretics can cause diabetes? It’s on the package insert! Or that statin drugs taken to lower cholesterol levels increase the risk of diabetes by 48%? Or that they also deplete your natural reserves of CoEnzymeQ10, making your cells more resistant to insulin and predisposing you to diabetes? While drugs may be necessary in the later stages of disease. it is far better to prevent a disease or try to turn it around with dietary and lifestyle modifications.

One of the most effective ways to prevent, or reverse, type 2 diabetes is to (gasp) restrict carbohydrate ingestion. This means kicking sugary beverages, bread, bagels, pasta, potatoes, white rice, cake, chips, cookies, pies, pastries, muffins, cereal and crackers right out of your diet.

Carbohydrate restriction benefits EVERYONE! It improves glycemic control, improves lipid profiles, decreases inflammatory markers in the blood, stabilizes insulin, facilitates the loss of excess body fat, and increases longevity. The first 5-7 days of carbohydrate restriction are the hardest (just like going on a drug or alcohol detox!), but as glycemic control improves, cravings become fewer and fewer. You will break free!

Here’s a tidbit for you to digest: type 2 diabetes confers an equivalent risk of aging 15 years. That’s almost as bad as learning “sitting is the new smoking!” Luckily for you, exercise can offset a good deal of that by causing insulin levels to drop by as much as 40-70% depending on the intensity, frequency and duration. Start slow, build up gradually and find something you love to do. One woman I know lost 40 pounds by using a hoola hoop while watching TV. It’s okay to think outside the box!

Since weight gain is the most controllable risk factor for diabetes, you may want to super-charge your metabolism. Did you know that muscle is your only metabolically-active tissue? To up-regulate metabolic function, you must fix the furnace. In other words, you have to start gaining muscle. The best way to do that is resistance training with weights. That does not mean become a power lifter. You can start with light weights at home and gradually increase as your strength develops. It is fun and fulfilling because results emerge quickly.

Lastly, when you start exercising and restricting carbohydrate intake, your AIC and glucose levels naturally begin to decline. If you are taking medication to lower glucose, your blood sugar can fall dangerously low. You need to work with your medical doctor on adjusting medication dosage.

Have you come to a crossroads in your life? You can stay the course and travel the road that leads to type 2 diabetes, or you can veer off in the direction of health and longevity. My advice is to take the road less traveled.