Health Tips Newsletter

April 8, 2008

Health Tips Newsletter Archives

No diet will remove all the fat from your body because the brain is entirely fat. Without a brain you might look good, but all you could do is run for public office.
- Covert Bailey

Happy (Belated) Easter!

Life has been busy for the Walns leading into spring, as we traveled to my wife Amy’s parents' house to help demolish the kitchen and journeyed to a friend's Alpaca farm in Indiana.

At the farm, Phillip (who is now walking!!!) loved petting the animals, while our eldest, Christopher, preferred chasing cats up a
ten-foot-high pile of hay. Since our youngest, Tessa, is beginning to explore her surroundings and steal her brothers' toys, our stir-crazy days that a late spring brings have flown by.

How has the beginning of your year been?
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You Can Rescue Your New Year's Resolutions

Tessa Waln awaiting Dr. Waln's (dad's) latest Health Tip Newsletter Each year marks a new beginning for us, and many of us mark the change in calendar with a renewed commitment to change something for the better with a New Year's Resolution. Most people who make resolutions choose to try to lose weight, eat better, or exercise more.

I personally don't make too many resolutions, probably because I know that 63% of all resolutions fail within 2 months and I’m sure mine would be among them! But, the New Year is a good time to reflect on our lifestyles and try to introduce some positive changes.

So, just in time for spring, here are some facts and tips to help us keep our pledge to be healthier.
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Fat is good for you

While we often hear that fat is bad for us, only an excess of certain fats are actually harmful to us, and some fats are not only beneficial, but crucial to keep our bodies functioning!

For instance, the retina in our eyes, the light sensitive inner-layer which receives images and transmits them through the optic nerve to the brain, is composed mostly of a fatty acid called Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA is also a major component of our brains and therefore critical to its regular functioning.

DHA is part of a category of long-chain fatty acids called "Omega-3 Fats." Another omega-3 fat is called Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) makes up a great amount of our nerve cells. Both omega-3 fats are called "essential" fats and we need to eat them to get them into our bodies.1

Just as we need "good" cholesterol and "bad" cholesterol, we need "good" and "bad" fats as well for our bodies to operate optimally, in this case a ratio of 1:1; equal amounts of each. Unfortunately, most of us eat roughly twenty (20) times the amount of bad fat, wreaking havoc on our bodies.2

Deficiencies of omega-3 fatty acids are noted in those who suffer from ADD/ADHD, depression, and Alzheimer's disease, as well as many other serious disorders.3 Additionally, every cell in your body uses fat for its cell walls and needs a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fat to properly drive many of our body's immune responses while simultaneously reducing the inflammation that has been linked to alarming health problems such as heart attacks, strokes, and colon cancer.4

So, while it may be true that we could eliminate some fat in our diet (often by moderating our junk food intake), a critical key to better health is to learn to eat better fats.
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To Get the Good Fats (Omega-3s), Go Fishing

Salmon DinnerWhile taking up a restful hobby such as fishing has been shown to reduce blood pressure, I'm actually recommending adding seafood to your food choices.

Sea foods such as canned tuna, salmon, and pollock are good for us as they contain omega-3 fats, which as I mentioned above, are essential for optimal brain functioning. Adults should eat two to three servings a week (about 12 ounces), but the FDA recommends that children eat less, and we should avoid shark, swordfish, and mackerel due to potential mercury toxicity.5

Albacore Tuna, while "dolphin-safe," may not be "human-safe," as it may contain high levels of mercury as well. While shopping for salmon, try to find “wild caught” salmon, instead of "farm raised" or simply “wild salmon” due to the same mercury concerns.

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Eat like the Greek

No, I'm not recommending you eat like frat boys and sorority girls - no one benefits from a diet exclusively of pizza and beer! I mean that we should add more of the healthy items that Mediterraneans (such as people from Greece) eat regularly. Olive Oil is a key ingredient in the Greek diet The Mediterranean diet is primarily comprised of whole grains, fresh vegetables, and olive oil. Olive oil is the oil you should be using almost exclusively.

Adding olive oil and avoiding seed oils - such as palm oil, cottonseed oil, and peanut oil - will go a long way towards balancing the good and bad fats.

Olive oil has many specific benefits beyond balancing good and bad fats. Studies have shown that olive oil keeps some cancer causing genes from expressing themselves and enhances the effects of some anti-cancer drugs.6 Additionally, olive oil is a strong antioxidant,7 helps prevent coronary artery disease,8 and has been shown in dozens of studies to help lower high blood pressure. Olive oil has also been shown to greatly reduce the symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)9 and to lower the risk of developing RA.10
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Get Well-Adjusted

Reduce stress, improve flexibility and coordination, feel better! No self-improvement plan is complete unless our entire body is functioning properly, so see your favorite chiropractor regularly to make sure your nervous system and entire body are functioning as well as they can be by getting a check-up and, if necessary, a chiropractic adjustment.
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Humor

Three contractors were touring the White House. One was from Florida, one lived in Missouri, and one hailed from Chicago. When the guard leading their tour discovered their jobs, he exclaimed, “Hey, we need one of the rear fences redone. You guys want to give me bids?”

The Florida contractor did some measuring and mused, “I figure the job will run about $900 – that’s $400 for materials, $400 for my crew, and $100 profit for me.”

Not to be outdone, the Missouri contractor said, “I can do this job for $700 – that’s $300 for materials, $300 for my crew, and $100 profit for me.”

Without batting an eye, the Chicagoan stated, “$2700.”

The guard was shocked by the price. “How’d you come up with that figure?”

“Easy,” he replied. “$1000 for me, $1000 for you, and we hire the guy from Missouri.”
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Thanks for reading. Call me for an appointment today; your body will thank you for it!

Dr. Matt Waln

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References

  1. Millner, JA & Allison, RG. The Role of Dietary Fat in Child Nutrition and Development. Journal of Nutrition. 1999;129:2094-2105
  2. Seaman, DA Inflammation and diet: A growing concern.  The American Chiropractor, March, 2004
  3. Horrocks, LA & Young, KY. Health benefits of DHA.  Pharmacological Research Sept 1999; 40(3):211-25
  4. Time; Feb 23rd, 2004
  5. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html
  6. Menendez JA, et al. Olive oil suppresses Her-2/neu expression. Annals of Oncology 2005;16:359-371
  7. Waterman E, Lockwood B. Active components and clinical applications of olive oil. Alternative Medical Review 2007; 12:4: 331-342
  8. Salami M, et al. Formation of F2-isoprostanes in oxidized low density lipoprotein: inhibitory effect of hydroxytyrosol. Pharmacological Research 1995;31:275-279
  9. Berbert AA, et al. Supplementation of fish oil and olive oil in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Nutrition 2005;21:131-136
  10. Linos A, et al. Dietary factors in relation to rheumatoid arthritis: a role for olive oil and cooked vegetable?  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1999;70:1077-1082