Why Ideal Protein Diet Works

WHY WE ARE SUCCESSFUL

Any hypo-caloric diet (low calorie diet) will result in weight loss and most popular programs base their protocols on a "balanced diet". If we take the standard USDA recommendations of approximately 60% of calories derived from "good carbohydrates", 25% from protein and 15% from "healthy fats" and cut the amounts in half (keeping the ratio of macronutrients the same), we will have a "balanced diet" with one-half the calories.....and people will lose weight. But there are a few problems with this seemingly logical approach.

First, if we continue to replenish some of the glycogen stores every day (60% of calories coming from carbohydrates, most of which will be converted to glucose in vivo) our fat-burning will stop until that has been depleted. This will lead to an erratic weight loss. Second, and more importantly, decreasing the minimal daily requirements of protein will lead to muscle loss. As blood glucose drops (from the hypo-caloric intake) the body will burn fat but will also break down muscle via gluconeogenesis as a way to maintain proper glucose homeostasis. As we lose muscle our metabolism slows, also the heart is a muscle and losing some of its mass is not a good thing (remember the Phen-Fen diet?). Now, when these folks have achieved their goal weight, what is the predictable result? They go back to eating "normal size" meals but their metabolism is slower and they regain the weight, often times ending up heavier than when they started the diet.

Our protocol takes a different track - for a relatively short time we will use an "unbalanced diet". We keep the minimum daily protein requirement the same (roughly 1/2 gram of protein per pound of lean body weight) and build the diet around this. Understand, this is not a "HIGH PROTEIN DIET". We give only the minimum and we do this to spare the muscle. Loss of muscle is unacceptable to us during a diet. Next, if we want to lose fat it is logical that we would eliminate most fats from the diet (but giving ample amounts of essential fatty acids). Now we are left with carbohydrates. Because we do not want to replace glycogen stores, we keep these at a bare minimum, approximately 30 grams per day. This forces the body to stay in the "fat-burning mode" 24 hours a day and is therefore called a "ketogenic diet". Our dieters will consume four cups of non-starchy vegetables and 2 green salads daily. This will provide fiber to prevent constipation and they will be given a multi-vitamin, calcium, magnesium, potassium and sea salt to ensure proper electrolyte balance. We only provide what they would normally be getting from food groups that we are temporarily taking away (i.e. dairy, fruits and grains).

This protocol will consistently cause people to lose not just weight but FAT and RESTORE your metabolism so you will be burning calories long after you are off of the diet. This is why Ideal Protein is know as "Your Last Diet". Call today to set up your free consultation 561.313.9117

Achilles Tendon Injuries and Active Release Technique

Here is a great article about Achilles Tendon injuries and how they can be helped with Active Release Technique (ART):

http://www.activerelease.net/articles/art_spotlight15.asp

How to stay focused on your goals

Ok, so its almost 2 weeks out from your New Years Resolution. How have you been doing? Still going to the gym? Staying away from those late night Ben and Jerry’s cravings? I hope so. Don’t give in, it is shown that the more that you resist temptation the stronger your brain synapses become. Just say no! Here are some more tips to help you keep on task in 2012.

The policeman of your brain is the prefrontal cortex (PFC). This is the area associated with focus, judgment and impulse control. It acts as the brains brake and fights back against cravings and temptation. There are many times when emotions can take over and the PFC cannot control them. In a healthy brain, there is good judgment and emotional control by the PFC. Healthy levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine lead to good activity in the PFC. Low levels of dopamine are associated with certain problems that rob us of motivation, such as Parkinson’s disease, some forms of depression and ADD. Addictions occur when the drive circuits hijack the brain and take over control.

When dopamine levels and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are in balance, we can be focused and goal oriented and have control over our cravings; we can walk away from caramel apples, chocolate cake, the bag of chips, French fries, and the myriad of other unhealthy choices. When these chemicals and brain areas are troubled, we often get off track and can do serious damage to ourselves.

For example, having low activity in the PFC from a head injury, poor sleep, persistent drug or alcohol use, or inheriting ADD, makes it more likely you will have impulse-control problems and poor self-supervision. Even though the goal would be to stop drinking, hold off on the cigarettes, or maintain a healthy weight, you do not have the willpower (or the PFC power) to say no on a regular basis.

Here are some tips to regaining control and balancing your brain systems

1. Boost your prefrontal cortex (PFC)

To gain control over willpower and cravings, it is critical to strengthen your PFC. To do so:

Treat any PFC problems that may exist, such as ADD, toxic exposure, or brain trauma.

Get good sleep – at least seven hours, more is better – to maintain adequate PFC bloodflow.

Maintain a healthy blood sugar level by eating frequent smaller meals. A 2007 article by Matthew Gailliot and Roy Baumeister, the authors outline the crucial nature of blood sugar levels and self-control. They write that self-control failures are more likely to occur when blood sugar is low. Low blood sugar levels can make you feel hungry, irritable, or anxious – all which make you more likely to make poor choices. Many everyday behaviors can cause dips in blood sugar levels, including drinking alcohol, skipping meals, and consuming sugary snacks or beverages, which causes an initial spike in blood sugar and a crash about 30 minutes later. Keeping glucose levels even throughout the day increased self-control.

Several studies have examined the relationship between glucose and smoking cessation, in the majority of these studies it has been found that healthy glucose levels can increase the likelihood of successfully quitting smoking. Coping with stress requires self-control because it requires that people make concerted effort to control their attention, thoughts, and emotions. People with healthy blood sugar levels are therefore also able to manage stress more effectively than others. Maintaining your blood sugar levels with complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fat will significantly cut down on your cravings.

Exercise - Exercise helps to boost your blood flow to the brain which increases PFC activity.

Practice meditation – numerous studies have found that this activity increases blood flow to the PFC.

Create focused, written goals - The PFC is involved in planning and forethought. It needs clear direction. Dr. Daniel G. Amen, MD has his patients do an exercise called the One Page Miracle (OPM) because it makes such a dramatic difference in the lives of those who practice it.

One Page Miracle (OPM)

Here are the steps: On a piece of paper, write down the specific goals you have for your life, including your health, relationships, work, and money. Your OPM includes more than just your physical goals because your relationships, career, and financial situation – and the stress they can cause – all affect your body and your willpower.

Take your time with this exercise. Keep the paper with you so you can jot down ideas and goals as they come to you. After you complete your initial draft, place it somewhere where you can be sure to see it every day, such as on the refrigerator, on your bathroom, near or on your desk at work. This way, on a daily basis, you'll be focusing on what's important to you. When you're focused on what you want, it makes it much easier to match your behavior to make it happen.

Ask yourself everyday, is my behavior today getting me what I want? Your mind is powerful and it makes happen what it sees. Focus and meditate on what you want. You will find that your willpower goes up dramatically.

Here's an example:

Tamaras one page miracle - What do I want for my life?

Relationships – to be connected to those I love

Spouse/significant other: to maintain a close, kind, caring, loving partnership with my husband. I want him to know how much I care about him.

Family: to be a firm, kind, positive, predictable presence in my children's lives. I want to help them develop into happy, responsible people. To continue to keep close contact with my parents, to provide support and love.

Friends: to take time to maintain and nurture my relationships with my siblings.

Work – to be my best at work, while maintaining a balanced life. Specifically, for my work activities to focus on taking care of my current projects, doing activities targeted at obtaining new clients, and giving back to the community by doing some charity work each month. I will focus on my goals at work and not get distracted by things not directly related to my goals.

Money – to be responsible and thoughtful and help our resources grow.

Short term: to be thoughtful of how our money is spent, to ensure it is directly related to our families and my needs and goals

Long term: to save 10% of everything I earn. I pay myself and my family before other things I'll put this money away each month in a pension plan for retirement.

Health – to be healthiest person I can be

Weight: to lose 30 pounds so my body mass index will be in the normal range

Fitness: exercise for at least 30 minutes three times a week and start taking martial arts lessons.

Nutrition: to eat breakfast every day so I don't get really hungry until lunchtime. To prepare a sack lunch at least three days a week so not tempted to go to fast food restaurants across from work. To eliminate diet sodas and reduce the amount of sugar I eat. To take a multivitamin and fish oil every day.

Physical health: to lower my blood pressure and cholesterol levels

Emotional health: to meditate for 10 minutes every day to help me calm stress

To help ensure success with your goals practice these tips to strengthen your prefrontal cortex (PFC). This is your year to succeed in all aspects of your life!

Dr. Todd Rodman, DC

What Hurts and What Helps The Brain

Many things hurt the brain and make it harder for you to get and keep the body you’ve always wanted. Many things help the brain and make it easier to get and keep a body you love. You may be surprised to find out that common, everyday activities and behaviors are often the source of brain drain, which makes it more of a challenge to have a body you love. Here are some common things that can hurt your brain and body.

Things that can hurt your brain

Physical trauma – severe injuries, concussions or even mild trauma.

Drugs – Marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, methamphetamines, inhalants, and heroin seriously decrease brain function. Abusing prescription drugs such as Vicodin, OxyContin, and Xanax, can also hurt the brain.

Alcohol – you don’t have to be a heavy drinker to hurt your brain. Even moderate amounts of alcohol can affect brain functions.

Obesity – Fat stores toxic materials. The more fat you have on your body, the worse for your brain. Obesity doubles the risk for Alzheimer’s disease and has been associated with decreased brain tissue.

Hormonal abnormalities - Abnormalities with your thyroid, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, or cortisol have all been implicated in brain and body problems.

Malnutrition – Junk food diet = Junk food brain. Your body renews all the cells in your body every few months. These new cells draw on all the foods you consume, so you literally are what you eat and digest. Low levels of vitamins, especially Vitamin D, minerals and omega – 3 fatty acids are also harmful to brain tissue and your body.

Chronic inflammation in the body – Chronic inflammation constricts blood flow to the brain and heart and is now thought to be at the center of many diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease. Correct this with a diet rich in Omega – 3 fatty acids (Omega 3 rich meal ideas to follow in later blogs)

Chronic stress – high stress leads to high cortisol which increases your appetite for sugar, making you fat, bumps up your skins oil production, making you more prone to pimples, increases muscle tension and chronic pain, increases blood pressure, and raises your risk for many serious health conditions.

Sleep deprivation – getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night lowers overall brain function.

Smoking – smoking constricts blood flow to the brain and all the organs in your body, including your skin. Most people can tell if a person is a smoker because their skin looks older than they are. Their brains looks this way on scans as well. Smoking is linked with many serious brain and health problems.

Too much caffeine – drinking too much caffeinated coffee, tea, soda, or energy beverages restricts blood flow to the brain, dehydrates the brain, body and skin and fools the brain into thinking it does not need to sleep, which are all bad things for your brain and body.

Too much TV – Excessive TV can be harmful to your brain and body. Excessive TV watching has been associated with ADD in children and Alzheimer’s in adults. Watching more that 2 hours of TV per day also significantly increases your risk for obesity.

Dehydration – your body consists of 70 percent water, and your brain is 80 percent water. If you aren’t drinking enough water, you reduce brain function. You can also expect to see thinner skin and more fine lines and wrinkles.

Lack of exercise – When you don’t exercise you decrease blood flow to your brain, your body and your genitals.

Negative thinking – Studies show that focusing on the things you don’t like lowers brain activity, causes your heart to beat faster, increases blood pressure, and negatively affects many systems in your body.

Here are some tips to help you protect and optimize your brain.

Protect You Brain – Be conscious of how precious it is to you and your loved ones

Eat a good diet – getting good nutrition is essential to good brain function and to a better body. A healthy diet include lean protein, fruits, vegetables, nuts and healthy fats like olive oil. Studies show that you brain works better if you eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Take daily vitamins, minerals and fish oil – most of us do not get all the nutrients we need from the foods we eat. It is recommended that everybody take a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement. Also, people should take a daily fish oil supplement, which can decrease inflammation and boost blood flow to the brain and can help to combat depression, which has been associated with being obese as well as many other health conditions.

Exercise – exercise is like the brains fountain of youth. It boosts blood flow, increases the brains use of oxygen and improves your brains response to stress. It is the single most important thing you can do to keep your brain healthy and is one of the best ways to change your shape, improve your mood, energy level and overall health.

Get Enough Sleep – Getting at least seven hours of sleep at night has been shown to help keep your brain functioning at optimal levels, keeps your appetite in check and helps your skin look younger.

Meditate – meditation activates the most thoughtful part of the brain so you can make better and more intelligent decisions.

Relax – learning how to counteract stress and calm your body helps your brain work better, puts you in a better mood, reduces high blood pressure, and protects you from disease.

Practice gratitude – When you focus on what you love, your brain works better, you are more coordinated, and you feel better. Write down 5 things that you are grateful for every day.

Remember that your brain is involved in everything that you do, every decision you make, every bite of food you take, every cigarette you smoke, every worrisome thought you have, every workout you skip, every alcoholic beverage you drink and more. A healthy brain makes it so much easier for you to have your best body possible. When your brain is working at optimal levels, you are more likely to stick to a diet, follow an exercise routine and adopt health lifestyle behaviors. On the other hand, a troubled brain often leads to trouble with your body. Which leads to extra pounds, wrinkles, chronic pain, and health conditions can be linked to the way your brain functions. Making poor food choices, blowing off the gym, and engaging in unhealthy behaviors are more common when your brain isnt working at its best.