MSG Under Cover

For those of you who avidly check food labels in grocery stores, you probably try to avoid monosodium glutamate, more commonly known as MSG. When eaten in any amount, this flavor enhancer is implicated in headaches, sweating, sense of facial tightness, numbness and tingling around the mouth, heart palpitations, chest pain, shortness or breath, nausea and weakness.

Analyzing food labels can be really tricky because MSG has numerous other aliases! For example, hydrolyzed soy protein and autolyzed yeast are other names for MSG. Most protein bars, including ones that claim to be healthy and low in carbs contain these products.

At ALETRIS, we advocate a whole foods diet that is high in organic proteins, fiber and vegetables. We counsel patients on the importance of eliminating processed foods to attain optimum health. A quick and easy tool when perusing the grocery store is to steer clear from any product containing a long list of ingredients. Remember, just because you are buying from a health food store doesn’t mean it’s healthy!

ALETRIS Center of Integrative Medicine is a Scottsdale, AZ wellness center serving Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Glendale, Arrowhead, Peoria, Sun City, Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, and Mesa, AZ with specialties in naturopathic medicine, natural hormone therapy, women's health, acupuncture, colon hydrotherapy, natural skincare and sugar hair removal.

The contents of this blog, including text, graphics, images and other material, are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please seek the counsel of an ALETRIS physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment.

EXERCISE Intensity

At ALETRIS, we often see women who want to lose weight and stay slim as they age. One obstacle we face as naturopathic physicians is changing women’s perceptions of how vigorous their exercise regimes need to be to truly see results. The 20 minute walk with the dogs or the laid-back weight lifting program twice a week is a nice start, but is never the end goal.

In support, new research conducted by Berkeley Lab followed 6,119 men and 2,221 women who maintained their weekly running mileage (to within three miles per week) over a seven-year period. In summary, the men and women who ran over 30 miles per week gained half the weight of those who ran less than 15 miles per week as they aged. It seems that individuals that engage in more vigorous exercise regimes keep weight off better than those who engage in only moderate exercise programs.

For all of our patients, helping them work towards higher and higher levels of exercise intensity is the goal at ALETRIS. We help them understand the amount of hard work required to change their bodies.

ALETRIS Center of Integrative Medicine is a Scottsdale, AZ wellness center serving Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Glendale, Arrowhead, Peoria, Sun City, Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, and Mesa, AZ with specialties in naturopathic medicine, natural hormone therapy, women's health, acupuncture, colon hydrotherapy, natural skincare and sugar hair removal.

The contents of this blog, including text, graphics, images and other material, are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please seek the counsel of an ALETRIS physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment.

Healthy Weight for FERTILITY

According to recent research published in Human Reproduction, as a woman’s BMI (or body mass index) increases, her fertility decreases. The study found that for every BMI unit over 29 kg/m2, the probability of pregnancy was reduced by 4 percent. Very obese women with a BMI between 35 and 40 had a pregnancy probability that was 26-43% lower than those with a BMI below 29.

The researchers postulate that being obese disrupts the endocrine system. One hormone which is produced by fat cells called leptin may be the culprit, as evidence shows that leptin may influence sex hormone production directly from the ovaries.

A healthy weight is essential for having an easy pregnancy and birthing experience, and weight loss is a key component of naturopathic fertility treatment in women with elevated BMI levels. Regular moderate exercise, diet modification and customized supplementation is still the healthiest way to lose weight for long term results.

Want to know your BMI? Use this handy tool from the Department of Health and Human Services. BMI CALCULATOR

ALETRIS Center of Integrative Medicine is a Scottsdale, AZ wellness center serving Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Glendale, Arrowhead, Peoria, Sun City, Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, and Mesa, AZ with specialties in naturopathic medicine, natural hormone therapy, women's health, acupuncture, colon hydrotherapy, natural skincare and sugar hair removal.

The contents of this blog, including text, graphics, images and other material, are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please seek the counsel of an ALETRIS physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment.

SLEEP to Keep the Pounds Off

New evidence demonstrates a hormonal correlation between weight gain and sleep deprivation. According to the American Journal of Epidemiology, women sleeping 5 hours or less per night gain more weight over time than those sleeping 7 or more hours per night.

At first glance, one might think that less sleep simply translates into more time to eat! However, there appears to be many more pieces to the puzzle.

Researchers are investigating sleep deprivation and its effect on two hormones, leptin and grehlin. These protein hormones are important regulators of metabolism and behaviors relating to satiation and hunger. Leptin is a hormone that signals our brain when we are full, causing satiation. On the other hand, grehlin is expressed when we are hungry, and signals our brain when it’s time to eat. Sleep restriction has been shown to reduce levels of leptin while increasing amounts of grehlin, which leads to excess hunger and overeating. Additionally, sleep restricted individuals in this study subjectively reported increased hunger than those sleeping 7 hours or more.

So will sleeping more make you lose weight? There's no easy answer to that question since the only way to lose weight is to expend more calories than you consume. However, sleeping less does have a correlation with weight gain, so to help keep the pounds off you'll need to get a good night's sleep.

The contents of this blog, including text, graphics, images and other material, are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please seek the counsel of an ALETRIS physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment.

Alli® Is Not Your Ally

After hearing a lot of talk regarding the new over the counter weight-loss pill, Alli®, we have decided to address one the pill's negative side effects: Vitamin Deficiency.

To understand the risks involved in taking Alli®, one must first understand how it works. Alli® is simply a lesser amount of the prescription weight-loss drug Orlistat (trade name Xenical®). Like Orlistat, Alli® works by inhibiting the action of lipase, an enzyme needed to break down fats so that they may be absorbed through the gut wall. With the inhibition of this enzyme in the intestinal tract, unabsorbed fat moves through the gastrointestinal tract and is eliminated in a bowel movement. Weight-loss occurs through this action because the body never has the opportunity to process the calories contained in the unabsorbed fat.

In addition to decreasing fat absorbtion, research has shown that Alli® also decreases the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins including beta-carotone and vitamins A, D, E, and K. Beta-carotene and vitamin E are major anti-oxidants in the body, while vitamin K is needed for proper blood clotting functions. Vitamin D is one of the most widely researched vitamins at this moment in history, due to its major implecations in reducing the 4 major cancers in the United States: breast, colon, skin, and prostate. Additionally, Vitamin D has been shown to play a major role in increasing bone density.

From a naturopathic perspective, many illnesses are created or exacerbated by vitamin deficiencies. Getting adequate amounts of all vitamins and minerals on a daily basis is a big enough challenge with our American diets, and consuming drugs like Alli® that inhibit their absorption is not something ALETRIS advocates.

The contents of this blog, including text, graphics, images and other material, are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please seek the counsel of an ALETRIS physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment.

Pea Protein for Health and Wellness

Many ALETRIS Center many patients have questions regarding protein consumption: How Much, What Kind, How Frequently...

In general, we recommend consuming no more that six to eight ounces of meat daily, and there is abundant research that supports eating a plant-protein-based diet. When consuming animal proteins, organic, free range chicken, turkey, and beef should be eaten in small amounts, and fish should be wild and consumed no more than two to three times weekly due to heavy metal toxicity concerns.

For many of our patients, consuming protein in the form of a drink powder is a quick and easy option. In choosing a powder, we tend to recommend pharmaceutical-grade pea-protein powder over ones that are soy, rice, or whey-based. Whey protein's amino acid profile has always proved superior to soy or rice protein; however, as naturopathic physicians we are aware that most whey used in protein supplements is not organic and comes from cows treated with hormones and antibiotics. We also see many individuals with mild intolerance to dairy and feel that whey may contribute to their allergic picture. Pea protein comes closest to matching the superior amino acid profile of whey.

Eating frequent meals that contain a small amount of protein during the day stabilizes blood sugar, which is beneficial for complaints such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, weight loss, and Type II diabetes.

Every patient is different, and lifestyle, body weight, and age all play a role in determining the correct dose of protein an individual needs.

If you have questions regarding pea protein powder, or would like to purchase a pharmaceutical-grade pea protein powder, please give us a call at 480-443-7168 or visit www.aletriscenter.com.

The contents of this blog, including text, graphics, images and other material, are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please seek the counsel of an ALETRIS physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment.