Mormon Life - Healthy New Year tag

{Food Dish} "Healthy" Dishes I Can Handle

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:03:00 -0700

by Kate Ensign-Lewis
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: I want to eat healthier. Really, I do. But so often "healthy" translates to "blah." But these dishes make eating healthy look like a piece of zucchini cake.

I'm not known for a light palate. (Remember this?) So, resolution #4 this year should make total sense: eat better. This means fewer calories (no more late night cookie runs), less fat, and more fruits and vegetables.

I've really been meaning to eat better for a long time, but my love of food always causes me to stop short. "Healthy" often means sacrificing flavor. With these dishes, though, I think I can make that crucial first step. Are you with me?

(Note: I deemed these healthy only with my untrained eye on the ingredients. Many of them do not have calorie counts, but my hunch is that they're low.)

Sweet Potato Skins (Photo from Pinch of Yum)

Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli with Pine Nuts (Photo from Ezra Pound Cake)

Fresh Corn and Tomato Saute (Photo from The Parsley Thief)

Healthy Muffins (Photo from Sweet Make Me Smile)

Prawn Salad Sandwich (Photo from An American in Ireland)

Spring Vegetable Saute (Photo from Sauce and Sensibility)

Fish Tacos with Mandarin Orange Salsa (Photo from Give Me Some Oven)

Quick and Healthy Turkey Chili (Photo from The Yummy Life)

And, speaking of that zucchini cake . . .

Healthy Chocolate Cake with Zucchini (Photo from Baltic Maid)

Did You Get BLASTed?

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:05:00 -0700

by Dr. Robert Jones
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: The traditional Christmas junk food, combined with the stress of the season, can wreak havoc on a person's goals to stay healthy. The key to changing this isn't hormones - it's habit.

The holiday “eating frenzy” is here. I hope you don’t get “BLASTed.” That’s an acronym we use in our weight loss classes to help our patients get their eating under control. Bored. Lonely. Angry. Stressed. Tired. When you are in one of those situations you are more likely to eat “stuff” you shouldn’t be eating. Junk food. It’s all over Christmas. It’s traditional. And it’s a nightmare if you are trying to stay strong.

The most important question we teach our patients is, when they are confronted with food, they must immediately ask this question: “Why?” That one word can often be enough to stop the behavior, if accompanied by a moment of self-honesty. “Am I angry? Am I stressed or bored?” Then answer the question.

Here’s the key: you see a gooey food. That is the trigger. Next you have a thought. Thoughts are electrical only. If the thought is “played with” long enough, it can become chemical or emotional. The key is to stop it at the electrical stage and don’t let it become chemical. Once it becomes chemical or emotional, it can flood the mind and body with all sorts of hormonal changes. Then you enter “the funnel” and it’s too hard to get out: you succumb. Then you are angry with your self and the cycle repeats itself day after day.

In our classes we teach our patients how to stop at the electrical stage. For you see, so much of weight loss is in the mind. Yes, of course, inability to lose weight can be due to being hormonally out of balance. Hormones are what we deal with all day long at Utah Wellness Institute. But if the brain can be taught habits, it can overcome those bad eating behaviors permanently.

For instance, we teach overweight people to do mindful eating. One example is that between every bite of food they must put their fork or spoon down on the table and chew the bite 25 times. What does an obese person do? The average number of chews per bite is 4! Just enough to get a big hunk of food small enough to swallow. And the next bite is already at their mouth waiting.

Naturally thin people usually chew their food longer. They put the fork down.

But that would require effort. It would require change. I read just last week that only 17% of people follow the recommendations of their doctor when the doctor tells them to change something in their lives. That means 87% would rather just have the doctor just give them a magic pill that will mask the problem. That way they don’t have to change a habit or stop doing something.

A physician friend of mine treats nothing but diabetics. . . and she hates it. Why? Because the patients won’t change their eating habits. “Just give me more insulin so I can eat all the junk I want,” is their attitude.

With the new year just ahead, let’s think about what bad health habits we have formed and make a personal commitment to change even just one of them. I had a lady in my clinic two days ago that drinks two Bid Gulps of diet soda every day. I told her that if she was going to work with me and wanted to get healthy and get her hormones balanced, she would have to stop drinking the soda completely. She looked at me like I was nuts. I told her, “I’m not kidding. It’s not what you’re eating every once in a while that is killing you. It’s the bad daily habits.”

Pardon the pun, but she wants her cake and wants to eat it too. I sent her off for a blood test and told her she has a week to think about whether she really wants to be healthy. As you go into the New Year, make a change with your health. Get motivated to get healthy. No better time to start than right now. And have a Merry Christmas!

(If you want more information on the classes we teach, go to lightpointlife.com for more information.)

Dr. Robert Jones is the Clinic Director at the Utah Wellness Institute in Draper, Utah. 801 576 1155)

The hCG Diet Debate

Sat, 15 Jan 2011 00:05:00 -0700

by Mary Olsen
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: When it comes to dieting, everyone is looking for the quick fix—the “miracle cure” diet that works for anyone. *Don't forget to take our Weight Loss Poll.

Years ago it was Atkins. Then it was South Beach. Today, some think it might be the hCG Diet—but there are just as many people opposing it as there are supporting it.

Lose weight. Fast. These are words to intrigue any man or woman, because, let’s face it, we humans don’t really believe that slow and steady wins the race. It’s hard to stay motivated when we lose just one or two pounds a week on a traditional regimen. Instinct pushes each of us to say, “I want results now.”

This is why diets move in and out of popularity almost as often as Lady Gaga changes outfits. One of the most recent fad diets is the hCG Diet, a regimen that combines hormones (oral drops or prescription-grade injections) with extreme dietary discipline. Millions have lost weight on the diet, and millions have expressed skepticism about its effectiveness (and its safety). So what do both sides of the coin really look like?

The Diet
The hCG Diet, as it is commonly called, has actually been around since the 1950s. Dr. A. T. W. Simeons, a British endocrinologist, claimed that low doses of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin, a pregnancy hormone) would help individuals on a very low-calorie diet (VLCD, 500 calories, in this case) to burn fat rather than lean tissue. See, on a low-calorie diet, the body tends to lose muscle and bone before it loses fat—Simeons claimed hCG could “mobilize” fat stores so that a person would not lose lean muscle and would burn thousands of calories a day. In addition, those who followed the diet would not feel hungry and would feel a sense of euphoria.

The diet fell out of favor in the U.S. in the 1970s after researchers and physicians asserted that hCG contributed nothing to weight loss. It has remained common in parts of Europe, and has recently experienced a resurgence in the U.S.

The Controversy
People lose weight on the hCG diet. That’s not disputed. Where it gets sticky is in how people feel about its methods—particularly whether it works long-term, whether it’s safe, and whether hCG does what it purports to do.

Keeping the Weight Off
One of the biggest arguments against the diet is the tendency for people who use it to gain the weight back. But, as with most diets, this appears to have more to do with maintenance issues than it has to do with the diet.

Susan from Idaho, who lost 60 pounds after three rounds of the diet, used the diet understanding that it would help get to her goal weight—but it was her responsibility to keep it off by changing her habits.

“If people ask, ‘Does hCG work?’ then I say, ‘Well, it depends on what you mean by that,’” she says. “Will it help you lose weight? Yes. Is it a cure for being overweight? No—because if you want to go back to eating hamburgers and candy bars, you will get fat. [Obesity] is a mental game.”

Kristie Rosser, a nurse practitioner and women’s health clinician in Utah, adheres to this philosophy when recommending the diet. She uses the diet as one tool in a larger wellness plan. “We approach it as a way for people to lose weight, prevent disease, reverse disease processes, get energy back, get positive self esteem back. As they’re on the diet, we introduce different concepts to them,” she says, explaining that she teaches patients how to change their pantries and patterns. “[We] approach hCG as a way that this patient is going to lose this weight for the last time.”

Unfortunately, the quick results of the diet may attract people not devoted to long-term health—people who want to lose the weight for a wedding or event—and this may be why so many gain it back.

Susan has seen this approach with women she knows. “Some people regain a bunch of the weight and just think, ‘Well, I can just go on hCG again.’” She also notes that some people abuse it—women who don’t have weight to lose and who stay on it for months at a time and who are now “rail thin, who are sick, who have lost all their muscle.”

The diet is tricky in any case, since you’re combining hormones with a VLCD—and used without care, it can easily mess up normal body processes.

Read more on page 2 >>

Safety
A valid concern when starting any diet is its safety. With the hCG diet, there are several potential problems, and they must be carefully evaluated by anyone starting the diet and their health care provider.

For example, hCG can have particular effects on patients with certain medical conditions. Dr. Craig Primack, a bariatric (weight-loss) physician in Arizona and a spokesperson for the American Society of Bariatric Physicians, notes a particular study that documented men taking hCG and showed that they experienced significant increases in testosterone and estrogen. Primack says this indicates that women who have had any estrogen-dependent cancer, men with a history of prostate cancer, and people at risk for blood clots (which are affected adversely by estrogen) should all be wary of using hCG. “Those people could be at risk by taking hCG,” he says.

For similar reasons, Dayna Lowry, a woman in Oregon using the hCG diet, believes that having a hands-on physician to monitor you is important. “You’re talking about hormones in your body, in women, most of the time, that are usually hormonally imbalanced. Left to your own devices, you can totally mess up your body.”

Dr. Laurence Cole, perhaps the world’s leading expert on the hCG hormone, goes even further and stands against using hCG for dietary purposes. “There’s no question it’s going to [mess] up completely your menstrual cycle and your fertility,” he says.

Primack also criticizes the safety of the 500 calorie diet outlined in the protocol and says that most people, if not all, should avoid such a diet. “There is not enough protein involved in a diet of that type to sustain normal metabolic needs, which really affects glucose. So if you go on five hundred calories with a chicken breast or two per day, it’s not enough to keep your normal muscle intact and it messes with your normal metabolism,” he says.

Rosser, on the other hand, says she thinks the diet is “very safe” and she would recommend it to most people with a BMI of 25 or higher. She was concerned at first about putting her women on this low-calorie diet that caused rapid weight loss, since several of the “metafast” diets of the 80s showed dramatic losses in lean muscle and bone mass. So, in testing the diet with a few of her patients, she closely monitored body fat, lean muscle, and bone mass. “What we found was that their body fat decreased dramatically by several percentages, and their lean muscle did not drop more than about half of a pound in a forty-day cycle, and their bone mass was unchanged.” She says, because of these observations, she sees significant support for the safety of the hCG diet.

hCG and the Placebo Effect
Rosser says the main reason the diet is successful and safe is because of the hCG hormone, which acts as a “vehicle to access body fats.” “The magic of the hCG diet doesn’t come from the five hundred calories, but it comes from the hCG itself,” she says. “There are doctors that say, ‘if you eat five hundred calories a day, you’re gonna lose weight.’ Yeah, but the weight you lose is in your muscle and your bone, it’s not your fat.”

As Dr. Simeons originally claimed, the hCG “mobilizes” fat stores, causing the body to burn fat rather than muscle and preventing people from feeling hungry, since they’re burning fat calories. At least, that’s the theory. But the strongest debate surrounding the diet centers on the effectiveness of hCG itself.

In his new book Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), Dr. Cole indicates that researchers have found receptors for hCG in sites associated with pregnancy (brain, placenta, uterus, etc.), but have not found receptors in the liver, digestive tract, or adipose tissues, receptors necessary for hCG to work in a dietary sense. In fact, multiple studies conducted since the 1960s have shown that hCG has no advantage over a placebo. In one study looking at all previous studies on the diet, Lijesen, et al., found that 12 out of 14 randomized studies concluded hCG had no greater effect on weight loss than a placebo or the diet itself.

To be clear, “placebo” doesn’t mean “nothing.” Placebos can have a very real physiological effect, showing the power of the brain to affect the body. In other words, a treatment with a placebo that you believe will help your endeavors, in some cases, will have a greater effect than treatment without the aid of a placebo. Placebos can also be made stronger in the mind of the patient by what the administrator says about it (if they’re positive about the placebo) and how it’s administered (for example, by injection), among other things.

Still, the facts indicate that hCG is not what some say it is. “The FDA has said since 1975 that hCG injection is ineffective for weight loss,” says Primack. “No better than a low-calorie diet.”

Dayna Lowry, who follows the diet through a diet clinic and is monitored separately by her physician, says her physician thinks hCG is a placebo. “I haven’t read any of the research or anything,” says Lowry. “I just know in my experience I’ve lost a ton of weight.”

The Verdict
Many professionals, including Cole, Primack, and the ASBP, stand firmly against using the hCG protocol for weight loss, citing the ineffectiveness of hCG for weight loss and the low-calorie diet as too low to sustain normal health and metabolic processes. “I think it has the potential for being a dangerous diet, and I [certainly] think it’s unwise and ineffective. We do not recommend its use,” says Primack. “Everyone’s looking for the quick fix. And I don’t think there’s an argument that on five hundred calories most people will lose weight. That is metabolically not right, and the idea that hCG adds nothing to the diet, that’s the argument.”

Cole, who calls the system a “garbage diet,” says, “It’s the biggest irrational, nonscientific information there ever was. It really is.”

Other professionals who have recommended the diet and seen it positively affect the lives of people who have used it responsibly, stand beside the strategy. “I have a couple patients,” says Rosser, “who have come off so many medications, and they’ll e-mail me randomly and say how good they feel, how good they look, how they feel such a difference in energy. Just the little things—it can change a person’s life so dramatically.”

“To me,” says Susan, “if you’re ready to make a lifestyle change, it’s a great boost, it’s a head start, and it’s a motivator. If you can get rid of thirty pounds, it’s easier to work out, it’s motivating. When you’re fat, you just don’t care. What’s another hamburger, what’s another doughnut? It’s hard to care that much.”

Some people may use the hCG Diet as a jump start to a healthier life—but physicians are still wary of its safety and effectiveness. It’s an extreme solution. Those who wish to explore this diet possibility must approach it with eyes wide open and in the close care of a physician, especially when medical conditions are involved.

Weight Loss Poll

Sat, 15 Jan 2011 00:05:00 -0700

source: MormonLife.com

Most women go on a diet at some point in their lifetime. Take our confidential poll below on weight loss and body image, and make sure to read our article The hCG Diet Debate.

Eating Smart When Eating Out

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 00:06:00 -0700

by Sarah M. McConkie
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Here are tricks you can bring to the table to order a tasty, healthy, and wallet-friendly meal from any menu. After a hectic day, dining out can be just what everyone (especially Mom) needs. Yet the choices that restaurants offer to kids are often loaded with calories and fat. A cheeseburger kid’s meal (a kiddie-sized burger, shake, and order of fries) looks fairly innocuous, yet even this downsized version of an adult combo meal can easily contain a startling 990 calories and 38 grams of fat. That’s 70 percent of the recommended daily caloric intake for an 8-year-old!

And fast-food eateries aren’t the only bad guys. A kid-sized portion of fettuccine Alfredo at a sit-down restaurant can tip the scale at 800 calories and a whopping 48 grams of fat. On top of all that, kid’s meals aren’t always cheap: the average American family spends $279 a month eating out.

But there’s no need to feel down in the mouth about the occasional family dinner outing. Here are four steps that will help you balance nutrition with fun when ordering meals for your kids—all for an affordable price.

Sit Down
If you have a choice between a sit-down restaurant and a fast-food chain, choose the traditional restaurant.

Good for Your Health: A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that even one fast-food meal per week raised the subjects’ BMIs over the course of a decade. But oddly enough, one extra meal per week at a sit-down restaurant did not cause body weight to increase.

“Generally, I would encourage sit-down restaurants because it encourages the family time and slower eating, and [you] often have more options for fruits and vegetables,” says Lori Ameh, registered dietitian and director of the Women, Infants, and Children Clinic in Provo, Utah.

Good for Your Wallet: Isn’t it more expensive to eat at a sit-down restaurant versus a fast-food chain? Not necessarily. Restaurants know the economic downturn has made it hard for families to eat out, and they’ve offered promotions to keep customers coming. Many eateries—such as IHOP, Lonestar, and Marie Callender’s— have occasional kids-eat-free specials. Be sure to call ahead to make sure that your location is participating in the promotion and that you know what days and times qualify for the freebie.

And, if you’ve taken the time to sit down and eat, you can use the experience as a money-smarts lesson for kids. For example, you could suggest a target price per meal and challenge them to find a menu choice that fits the night’s “budget.” And when you pay, you can also talk to kids about using coupons, how to calculate a tip, or how credit cards work.
Talking to your kids about finances and allowing them to take part in little spending decisions is a great way to teach money management skills.

Study Up
Before eating out, take a minute to look over the menu and the nutritional data many restaurants provide.

Good for Your Health: A 2009 study at Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity found that people who are aware of a food’s nutritional data will eat an average of 250 fewer calories than those who don’t know their food’s calorie content— both at the meal and during the rest of the evening. “It is a good idea to check out the nutritional value of the food choices at both traditional and fast food restaurants,” Ameh says. “By looking at the comparison tables of various foods, you can make an educated selection.”

You can often find nutritional info in pamphlets near the cash register (some restaurants even list nutrition on the menu), but almost all chain restaurants now provide this data online. Pick up or print nutrition data about the restaurants your family frequents. That way, you can keep the nutritional info in the family car for quick reference.

Good for Your Wallet: If you plan ahead, you can catch those awesome kids-eat- free nights and other deals too. You’ll find coupons and discounted gift certificates for many chain restaurants through websites like citydeals.com, dineoutcheap.com, or restaurant.com. There are also great blogs that can help you save. “A restaurant’s website can be the single best place to find special promotion and possibly discount coupons,” says Michelle Hovestadt of Wicked Cool Deals, a blog that directs users to coupons on things like restaurants and groceries. “As more and more people turn to the Web to find discounts and coupons, restaurants are doing everything they can to lure readers to their websites. Take advantage of it!”

Split It Up
Sharing is a great strategy for getting all the taste for half the calories and half the price.

Good for Your Health: A small Butterfinger Blizzard at Dairy Queen contains 470 calories. But if you split it between two people, the dessert contains a manageable 235 calories. (Tip: if the thought of having “only half” makes a younger child upset, quietly ask the waiter or cashier to serve the food in two small cups or on two small plates so that your child won’t see you taking half the item away.)

Good for Your Wallet: Sit-down restaurants are notorious for their huge helping sizes, but you can use this to your advantage. Find a reasonably priced adult entrée that two or three of your kids can split, and you can spend even less per child than you would for a typical fast-food kid’s meal. For example, a full-size teriyaki rice bowl costs $7.25 and can easily be split between three youngsters. That’s means you’re paying less than $2.50 per child—how’s that for thrifty?

Swap It Out
Just say no to calorie-laden sides and sugary drinks.

Good for Your Health: Concerns about the rise of childhood obesity have prompted many restaurants to provide lighter alternatives to their typical fare. Chains like Burger King, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Subway, Arby’s, and Chik-Fil-A now offer choices like mandarin oranges, yogurt, applesauce, and fruit cups in place of fries.

“It helps tremendously if parents are eating the way they want their child to eat,” says Melissa Johnson, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “If a parent substitutes a side salad for the fries, the child will be more likely to do the same. It’s a great way to teach a child how to eat in moderation and how to balance food out.”

Many chains also offer milk as an alternative to soft drinks. “Although chocolate milk has some added sugar, it has a ton more nutrition than soda, so I think it is a good compromise,” Johnson says. “It allows the child to still feel like it’s a ‘treat,’ but it gives them nutrients that soda would not give.”

Good for Your Wallet: Ordering waters instead of soft drinks will yield huge savings. Even the cheapest soft drinks generally cost $1.00 apiece. Do the math: a family of six that eats out three times a month could save an impressive $216.00 each year by saying no to soft drinks when eating out.

*Click here for the nutrition facts of 40 popular restaurant chains.

Nutrition Facts for 40 Popular Restaurants

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 00:04:00 -0700

source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: How many calories is that burger from your favorite restaurant? Find out!

Nutrition Facts Links

The Old Spaghetti Factory

Cancer Screening Tips

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:06:00 -0700

by Dr. Thomas J. Boud, MD
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: The recommendations for cancer screenings can be confusing. Here is what I tell my patients. Welcome to a new year! Why not make this the year you finally pay closer attention to your body and prevent concerns before they can become problems?

Few health topics evoke more consternation than the Big “C.” Generally speaking, the incidence of cancer increases with age. I was taught in medical school that all of us have several dormant oncogenes, or cancer cells, in us right now. The expression of these cells depends upon a variety of environmental influences. Unfortunately, you can do everything right and still end up being bitten. If you are destined to be one of the unlucky ones, there are things you can do now to help beat the odds.

This is what I tell my patients: if you have a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) or a second degree relative (grandparent, aunt/uncle, or niece/nephew) who has had some type of adult cancer, you should have the recommended test done 10 years earlier than the age when they were first diagnosed. Otherwise, here are my general cancer screening guidelines:

Skin
The most common cancer overall. Avoid sunburns and excessive tanning, use sunscreen, and watch for changes. I explain the “ABCDEs of Dermatology” as follows:

Asymmetry—Divide the mole or lesion through the middle. Is it a mirror image on both sides? If not, get it checked.

Border—Is it irregular or smooth? Irregular may signal a problem.

Color—Are there two or more colors in the same lesion, or has it recently changed color? If so, get it checked.

Diameter—Get it checked if it is larger than the end of a pencil eraser.

Elevation—Does it raise off the skin? This may indicate cancer.

Most moles and spots on the skin are just that—moles and spots. But if there is a change or it meets any of the above criteria, ask your doctor about it.

Cervical
The most common cancer in teenage girls and early adult women. Get a yearly PAP smear and gynecological exam starting at age 21 or the onset of sexual intercourse (whichever comes first). Uterine and ovarian cancer risks increase with age and should be screened at yearly exams.

Testicular
The most common cancer in teenage boys and younger men. Remember Lance Armstrong? Do a monthly self exam and get a yearly doctor’s exam starting at age 12.

Lung
The most common lethal cancer overall; it comes primarily from smoking, but not always. If you have a history of tobacco use, have had long-term exposure to cigarette smoke, or have an unexplained persistent cough, talk to your doctor.

Breast
The second most lethal cancer in women. There is a lot of controversy on screening for this one. I recommend monthly self breast exams starting at age 21 (the best time is about a week after your period is over), and yearly exams by your primary care physician, also starting at age 21. Get yearly mammograms starting at age 40.

Prostate
The second most lethal cancer in men. Get a yearly PSA blood test and doctor exam from age 50 on. (Don’t complain guys, women still have it worse.)

Colon
The third most lethal cancer over all. Watch for any blood or changes in bowel habits and get your initial colonoscopy at age 50. We’ll tell you how often you’ll need one after that, depending on the results. These are just the very basics and my own rules. Do your genealogy. Know your family’s health history. Remember, if you have questions, talk to your doctor. Doing nothing doesn’t help anyone—least of all you.

Now let’s get healthy!
—Dr. Boud

Thomas J. Boud, MD, is board certified in family medicine and practices in a very busy primary care medicine clinic in the Salt Lake Valley. He is also a volunteer physician for the Church’s Missionary Medical Department and cares for the health care of many of the local full-time missionaries. He served a mission in Southern Germany and Austria. He is an avid runner, having completed more than 50 full marathons. He is married to a very patient wife and has six beautiful children, two of which are currently serving full-time missions.

Are Your Hormones Driving You Crazy?

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:05:00 -0700

by Dr. Robert Jones
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Your mood swings may not be your fault. You could have a low thyroid. Yes, your hormones may be driving you and everyone around you crazy. Those fickle little chemicals affect everything in your body, including your brain. Take this test to determine if your hormones are imbalanced:

Are you tired all the time?
Are you unable to lose weight even though you are dieting and exercising?
Are you losing your hair?
Are your hands and feet cold all the time?
Do you have “brain fog?”
Do you have constipation problems?
Do you have dry skin?
Do you frequently experience anxiety or depression?

If you have several of the above signs or symptoms, chances are very high that your thyroid is low, despite what your doctor may have told you. About 75 percent of the female population is running around with low thyroid symptoms (an epidemic?), but have been told by their family doctor that they are normal. If you have several of the above symptoms, keep reading. It may make all the difference in the world.

Here is a typical scenario that I see daily in our clinic (www.utahwellnessinstitute.com):
A woman comes in with her husband. She is complains of being so tired every day that she can’t keep up anymore. And the irritability and PMS? Her husband verifies those. He also mentions, not surprisingly, her low sex drive. She’s having to push herself through the day and is upset about the recent 10-15 pounds she has gained.

So, we run a blood test and check all her hormones. When I sit down with her and her husband to show them the results, they are somewhat puzzled. “But my doctor said he checked my thyroid and said it was ok.”

I’ve seen it a thousand times. My answer? Your doctor didn’t check the right things on the blood test. “And besides,” I tell her, “if everything were really ok, why are you so tired and irritable all the time?”

The problem is that your doctor has been trained to only do a thyroid screening test call the TSH. If that is all that was tested on your thyroid, you may spend the rest of your life wondering why you feel like life is passing you by and why you are left with a tired, frustrated life. Then the depression sets in.

But there are plenty of things that can be done about it. Be proactive with your doctor. Tell him you want a “free T3” test run, along with several others to see if there really is something wrong with your thyroid. Remember, a good 75 percent of women in America today have undiagnosed hypothyroidism.

Another problem: Let’s say your blood test comes back and it shows “low normal” on the results for your thyroid and your doctor will tell you that everything looks good. But do you really want to live the rest of your life feeling “low normal?” Like thousands of our patients, living life in the “high normal” range is a whole different, enjoyable and fulfilling experience.

For the past 11 years, we have been trying to get the word out to women that they don’t have to feel the way they do. I’ve sat in on many women’s focus groups and some of the most common complaints are fatigue, weight gain, and depression—all of which can be the result of an undiagnosed low thyroid. For more details go to www.stopthethyroidmadness.com.

So remember, this may not be your fault. Get checked now.

*Dr. Robert Jones is the Clinic Director at the Utah Wellness Institute in Draper, Utah. (www.utahwellnessinstitute.com)

Exercising Through the Holidays

Wed, 27 Nov 2002 08:22:00 -0700

by Kelli Calabrese
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: During a busy time like the holidays, we all tend to neglect our health. Being in top physical condition can help you manage the demands of a season that is full of activity—and stress. Stay in tip-top shape for handling the load that the holidays can bring.

Wouldn’t it be great to enjoy the holiday season feeling invigorated, rather than stressed and fatigued? Exercising through the holidays will not only help us managed the addition al stressors, but will also put us one step ahead of our health-oriented New Year’s resolutions.

Create some new traditions.

Instead of the usual baking fest, consider training for an event with your family like the “Turkey Trot” or “Jingle Bell Run.” Having a physical goal in mind such as training for a 5K run will help you to stay on track with your workouts. Even traditional holiday activities such as caroling through the neighborhood on foot or sledding down the town hill will burn calories and keep the heart pumping. You and your family may be delighted with some new activity-based family customs, and not even miss all of the lard and sugar you avoid in the process.

Manage your time.

If you start holiday shopping early and pre-plan the parties you wish to attend, you’ll not fell as pressured to give up your exercise sessions. Try putting all of your workouts in your planner for the months of November through December and stick to them just as you would any other important appointment. Be firm about keeping that commitment and resolve toward maintaining good health through these notoriously decadent months.

Review your goals and priorities.

Your life has many important parts including family, work, spiritual growth, recreation and health, which can be especially hard to balance around the holiday. Studies have shown that those who take care of their health—specifically through exercise—are better able to take care of others and achieve balance in al areas of their life. Taking a little time for your physical fitness will pay big dividends at this time of year.

Measure your progress.

Knowing your starting point and tracking your improvements throughout the holidays will inspire you to continue. Get out the scale, stopwatch, camera, and measuring tape to record your starting points and create a folder to store your stats, along with workout cards, and personal goals. This will be a good comparison and motivator as you are progressing or if you reach a plateau. Re-evaluate your level of fitness and compare your improvements from today to that of January 1st, 2004. You may be delighted at how much stronger, flexible and fit you are.

Put fitness gear on your holiday list.

If anyone asks what you want this holiday season, politely reply that you would prefer a gift certificate to the gym, a new pair of running shoes, a heart rate monitor, a pair of skiis, or a new workout tape. You will get a lot more mileage from new workout apparel than from anything else.

Take advantage of winter activities.

If you live in a cold climate, the world is your gym. Consider cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or ice skating. If you live in a warm climate, go for a bike ride, walk or swim. Outdoor activities will add to the mental and spiritual dimensions of physical activity and help to keep your holiday anxiety to a minimum.

Sign up for lessons.

If you commit to taking dance lessons throughout the holidays, not only will you have built in some enjoyable exercise time, but you will be able to show off all of your latest moves on New Year’s Eve. You may want to sign up for a winter session of kickboxing, tennis, or swimming.

Choose an activity that you will enjoy and consider singing up fro the follow up course in the spring. You may even be motivated to enter a competition and bring your fitness to a whole new level.

Workout first thing in the morning.

If you complete your workout as your very first task of the day, then there won’t be unexpected obstacles to compete with your workout time. During the holidays there is a greater chance of alternate activities in the evenings, so play ahead by working out first things in you day. Your body will get used to the morning exercise routine, giving you added energy for holiday shopping.

Convenience is a factor.

If you find you don’t have time to go to the gym, break out the workout videos, dust off the home equipment or resort to basics like walking, sit-ups and push-ups. Do what you can to pick up the pace and find creative ways to fit in activity.

Don’t procrastinate!

If you wait until next Monday, they you’ll wait until January are then you’ll wait until spring. Start out with some form of movement until it becomes a habit, and you begin to formalize your plan. You’re far more likely into to slip into patterns of inactivity if you address them ahead of time and are prepared with alternatives. Have a safe, happy and fit holiday season.