I hereby Issue A Challenge!

The new year is upon us, and with it the inevitable resolutions to get in shape, drop a few pounds, and get healthier in general. The statistics are dismal, however, when it comes to peoples' ability to stick with their plans. This is often because the "plan" is more of a desire without any real thought put into the day to day realities of how to get anything done. The average person knows they should eat a little less and exercise a little more, so they set out with the best of intentions come January first (or, more often, January second after the post hangover meals of the first). I believe that the single biggest obstacle when it comes to obtaining ideal body composition isn't knowledge. It's accountability, or lack thereof.

Knowledge has its place, of course. I still run across people on a daily basis who think whole grains are good for you and so forth. But even if you're carrying around ideas about the details that are in error when it comes to losing weight and getting healthier the basics--eating less than you burn--are what will get you to where you want to go. The details can make things go a little easier, but the basics will get you there. 

Having an accountability partner will help you make more progress, and for reasons that are easy enough to understand: going to the gym or doing some form of exercise is a lot easier to do when there is someone holding you accountable to do so. Eating well is easier to do when you just killed it in the gym. After all, why go through the hassle to work out and then blow it eating some of the leftover bagels sitting in the lounge at work?

Introducing Fitocracy.com. It's a social media site where you can learn a lot about fitness from some smart people, keep track of your workouts, and help others do the same. I've been playing with it for a few weeks now, and I've gotta tell you, it's addicting to enter your latest stats from the gym or track (or whatever--there's just about every kind of exercise you can think of there). You get points for different movements, and can "level up" when you acquire enough points. Cool. I've got a friend or two there already, and we watch each others' performance and even "give props" when warranted.

In the coming weeks I'll give you my opinion about several exercise related topics. In the meantime, drop us a line at the office (info@greggreendc@gmail.com) if you're interested in joining me on Fitocracy. I'll be creating a group soon for interested friends/patients so we can help each other out. Let's get over the idea that dropping a few pounds with a temporary diet modification is the answer to anything. I'm committed to a lifestyle of health and fitness. Let's do it together and teach each other as we go.

Feeling Insane? Me Too!

I get the occasional question about the Beachbody.com products such as P90X and Insanity. I can't speak from personal experience about the P90X, but Insanity (both the product and state of mind) is another matter altogether. To the uninitiated, Beachbody is a company that has made it's name with do-at-home exercise programs which they hock via non-stop infomercials. Their target audience is people who don't want to go to a gym, but know they need to do something to whittle down the ol' spare tire.

I first heard about Beachbody's flagship product, P90X, when I was in chiropractic college. Many of my classmates were doing it and talking about how well it was working and how tough it is. In those days we were living on the beach, and I was surfing regularly, so I had no desire to do much more than that. Those days are now long behind me, and it takes considerably more effort to get to the beach from Houston than it did in Ponce Inlet, Florida. Such is life.

When I was building out Green Chiropractic, I decided I needed to get back into shape. It had been awhile since I had seen the surf, and I was quickly turning into a fat skinny guy. There's nothing worse than being a fat skinny guy. A good friend had both programs, but wasn't using Insanity, so by default I jumped into what is known as Beachbody's toughest program. I also bought my own copy for future use, which is what I'm using now.

One of the key selling points of Insanity is the fact that other than a television and DVD player, no other equipment is needed except for maybe a mat of some kind for cushion if you have tile or hardwoods. I don't even wear shoes doing the workouts--I was having knee pain with them, but when I tried without shoes (I couldn't get them on before the warm up started, so it was a happy accident) the pain disappeared. A friend of mine wears Vibram Five Fingers for the same reason.

What I like about Insanity is the intensity level, which is as high as it gets. In order to get your hormones switched on for fat loss it's important to hit it hard. And Insanity, as the name might suggest, hits it hard. It's not uncommon for me to be mopping the sweat off my face before the warm up is over.

The program isn't for everyone, and it's really not something anyone should try and do more than once or twice a year. It's really too much to be sustainable. Most people could just do the warm up three times a week and see some big physical changes.

The toughest thing about it is the mental game you have to play with yourself in order to finish the workout every day (six days a week for 63 days). I take a two hour lunch, and do the workout the first hour. The second hour I spend attempting to stop sweating before I start seeing patients. The first month's worth of workouts are between 35-45 minutes, and they get up to an hour or so after that. There's a countdown clock always ticking, telling me how much brutality I have to endure before the end. But when the end comes, there is a huge sense of accomplishment.

Shaun T, the leader of the Insanity gang, is a likable, motivating guy. Someone I'd like to hang out with. He also pushes you hard to keep going, even when you can't really feel your legs anymore. There is a gym full of people doing what you're trying to do along with Shawn T, and you'll start to wonder what they're like, and if you're like me you'll try to pace yourself with some of them (there's one guy in his early 40s I keep my eye on--if he can keep going then so should I). Shawn is also really good at reminding you to keep proper form, and there are virtually zero exercises with form that would jeopardize your low back if you do them right. 

I can't recommend Insanity to everyone--it's too intense for many (there are other Beachbody products out there that are much more accessible), but if you can watch their youtube trailer and not feel the need to hide in the closet, this might be for you. I'm getting close to finishing my second time through this thing, and I had to buy new pants, because even my Florida pants were getting a little too loose.

Is It Fish Oil, or Dessert?

Many people, myself included, aren't big fans of the occasional fishy belch that comes after the morning fish oil capsules go down the hatch. I've written about the merits of fish oil consumption before, and now I'm happy to report that there's a new way to get all that goodness in you. And it tastes like lemon pudding. I have a taster open here at the office if you don't believe me. I can't detect one single molecule of fish flavor, and a measly two teaspoon of the stuff gives you 360 mg each of DHA (neuro-protective and thus good for your brain). and EPA (straight up anti-inflammatory). There are also some omega 9's in there, which are good for joint health and a cornerstone of what's good with the Mediterranean diet that gets so much press these days.

So please read my previous fish oil article, and then come by Green Chiropractic to test taste this stuff. Bonus: it's made by Anabolic Labs, which is the only supplement manufacturer in the known universe that also makes pharmaceuticals, so the level of quality and purity doesn't get any better. And did I mention it tastes like lemon pudding?

The Foundation

If you want to get healthy and stay that way, there are some foundational nutritional protocols I recommend. If you're sick, I'd wast no time, but even if you're well, these suggestions can help you feel, um, well-er. Prevention is always easier. The good part--most of these suggestions are inexpensive to implement. Pay now, or pay later, and if you pay later it could be a cost far greater than you can fathom right now when everything seems cool. And I promise you won't start looking like the guy in the picture.

First up--and this won't shock anyone who knows me or any regular reader of this blog--take vitamin D. 5,000 IU a day for your average adult should do the trick. You can always get a blood test to see where your levels are, which I do every 6 months, but don't let the lack of knowledge of your level enable you to put off supplementing.

When in chiro school in Florida, a friend of mine, who was about my height, weight and build, got his levels tested around the same time I tested mine for the first time. He was a big golfer, and I was commonly found in the ocean with my surfboard, so we were both getting a lot of sunshine. The results? His was 19 Ng/Ml of blood, and mine was 38. 40 is the bottom end of optimum. I was taking 2,000 IU a day at the time and was getting what he was getting from the sun. The literature suggests that you can take up to 2,000 per pound of body weight if you feel the funk coming on. Yesterday I woke feeling a bit like Bootsy Collins (very funky), so during the course of the day I consumed approximately 150,000 IU. I woke up today feeling mostly normal.

Take D.

Next up--take some fish oil. You want around a gram of EPA/DHA. Some brands are more concentrated than others, so do the math and make sure you're getting enough. EPA/DHA is anti-inflammatory and neuro protective. It will help lower your triglycerides, too.

Take a deep breath before you read the next sentence: Stop eating grain products. I know, this is the hardest part. For some of you this may mean eating thin crust pizza instead of thick, and for others you may start experimenting with almond flour or other no-grain alternatives. See my previous grains post for details.

And finally--take probiotics. There are approximately 10 trillion bacteria in your colon. This means that there are far more of them in you than there is you in you, if you count up all your cells to compare. The type of bacteria in your gut has been found to influence brain function, systemic inflammation, and general health in a big way. If you get too much of the wrong ratio you can get sick. The literature is starting to suggest that virtually all autoimmune disorders begin in the gut, so it behooves us to make our gut work for us.

This is the foundation. There are other recommendations I'd make for specific conditions. Athletes could use a good anti-oxidant regimen. I take everything listed here, avoid grains like the plague, and take CoQ10 along with the other stuff. Insurance. I haven't been full blown sick enough to miss work since December 20. 2006. It's our wish here at Green Chiropractic that you get equally healthy. And if you have any back or neck pain, we'd love to help you with that as well.

Agave Nectar--A Warning

Just a short post today on one of the latest so called "healthy trends" in the world of  sweeteners. Agave nectar is a very expensive alternative to table sugar and is often called for in recipes for diabetics and others who aspire to a low carb treat on occasion. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not against low carb. Low carb is the way to go for general health. Keeping your insulin levels low is the key to keeping slim and reducing systemic inflammation. Keeping your total carbohydrate intake below 100 grams a day will help you gradually lose weight without trying too hard, and under 50 grams a day will enable you to lose weight effortlessly.

This is the appeal of agave nectar--it's primary sweetener is fructose, which doesn't spike insulin like sucrose (table sugar). The downside is that fructose in high concentrations screws up your liver, which has to process fructose the same way it processes alcohol, except without the buzz.

The Sugar Busters diet is chock full of fructose for that reason. Controlling insulin controls the hormonal push to fat storage, so eating things sweetened with fructose seems to make sense to that end. Of course, these things never work out like we'd like them to, and this is the case with fructose.

You may be thinking, "Hey, isn't fructose found in fruit?" And if you are, you're thinking correctly. Small doses of fructose with the accompanying enzymes found in the fruit are fine. Drinking it by the quart like some people do in diet soda is another thing all together. Diet soda? That doesn't have agave nectar, does it?

No. It has high fructose corn syrup, which is about 55% fructose. Agave nectar is about 90% fructose. So stop using it!

I recommend some good maple syrup as a substitute for baking. The almond flour biscuits we have at Casa De Verde are a fine example of that substitution working perfectly.

The Metabolic Syndrome

What it is and how to avoid it...

The metabolic syndrome (TMS) is a cluster of symptoms that is often seen as a precursor to diabetes. It is frequently referred to as "Syndrome X," and the estimates of how many people have it are going through the roof. In the United States it's estimated that 2 in every 5 adults are affected. That's a lot of people.

The American Medical Association lays it out like this--if you have three of the following, you're in the Metabolic Syndrome club. If you have them all, you're a VIP.

1. Waist measurement of 40 inches or greater in men, and 35 or greater in women.
2. Serum triglycerides level greater than 150mg/dL.
3. HDL cholesterol less than 40 mg/dL in men and less than 50 mg/dL in women.
4. Blood pressure of 135/85 or higher
5. fasting glucose of 100mg/dL or higher,

It all boils down to controlling your insulin levels and the corresponding blood sugar levels. If you are insulin resistant from eating too many carbs (especially refined carbs, but anything higher on the glycemic index will take its toll, such as all cereal grains), not getting enough exercise (more on this in a minute), not getting enough sleep, and/or getting too stressed out (guilty!), then you're either on your way to TMS, or you're already there. Fortunately, there are ways to reverse it.

Regular readers will not be shocked to hear me say that the number one way to reduce the effects of TMS is to stop eating grain products such as wheat, corn, and rice. Read my previous post on grains for details. Along with the grains, though, are the other sweet treats that permeate the check out lines and teachers' lounges of the world. Sugar can rob you of your health on multiple levels.

Insulin resistance happens when too many carbs have to be dealt with on a regular basis. Glucose is stored in muscle and liver tissues as glycogen. When those cells get full (which doesn't take much), the rest is stored in the form of triglycerides, which is bad. Your muscle and liver cells will literally "down regulate" insulin receptors on their cell membranes, which is akin to putting a "No Vacancy" sign on the marquee. All full at the inn, go somewhere else. So, we get fatter when extra carbs can find no room at the inn. Bummer.

The way to re sensitize your cells to insulin is to stop eating so much of the foods that are causing the problems in the first place. That's a good start. But if you really want to ditch TMS, you need to cause your cells to up regulate insulin receptors. This can be done most effectively with high intensity exercise. This doesn't mean running on a treadmill at a moderate pace for an hour. This means working so hard in short bursts that having a conversation or reading a magazine is out of the question. This means getting red faced and sweaty and icky. And this can save your life.

Extra insulin running around in your system leads to systemic inflammation, which I mention in just about everything I write. And, men, extra insulin in our systems is notorious for reducing testosterone levels, which can lead to depression, decreased libido, and reduced muscle mass. None of this is too appealing to me personally, so I avoid eating the afore-mentioned carbs (especially anything refined), and when I exercise I won't be able to answer the phone because talking will not be an option at the preferred level of intensity.

Because TMS is not just a precursor to diabetes. It is an indicator of systemic inflammation, and systemic inflammation is a precursor to all of the diseases of the west that get us in the end, including heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, and on and on. What you get depends on what you're most genetically predisposed to getting. If you know your family history, and you have metabolic syndrome, it's likely that you're on your way to fulfilling your genetic destiny.   But it doesn't have to be that way.

The first step in determining where you stand, is to get some objective data. There are some blood tests that will tell you what you need to know--glucose panels, cholesterol (I recommend the VAP test to really know what's going on. It breaks the LDL into smaller categories to identify the particle size. Large and fluffy LDL particles don't worry me), hemoglobin A1C, CRP (which is a favorite of mine--it tests for a marker of systemic inflammation), and fibrinogen (to see if your blood is clotting too easily, which happens with elevated insulin levels).

There are supplements that can take the edge off TMS. Vitamin D, fish oil, magnesium, B vitamins, and a few antioxidants can all do wonders for your blood chemistry, but they do nothing compared to eating right and getting the right kind of exercise. Try taking my 30 day grain free challenge and see for yourself. This is the biggest stumbling block for most, but there are other things to eat. I promise. I've been doing this for years.

Exercise, by the way, doesn't have to take up your entire life to get the benefits. It's a matter of finding the perfect amount to get the job done. Some of us are gluttons for punishment. If that's not you, I can tell you that huge gains in health can be made in an hour a week if you do it right. That sounds like a subject for a future post.

By the way, if you're in the Houston area, and are interested in any of the blood test I mentioned, give us a call at Green Chiropractic. I can send you to any Lab Corp and we can get this thing going.

Tummy Troubles = Autoimmune Disease?

Well, not exactly "tummy," if by "tummy" you're thinking, "stomach." What I really mean is your small intestine, specifically the upper part of your small intestine, know as the duodenum. I've written about small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) before, but I think it's worth delving back into for a minute to give you options for dealing with it.

Before telling you how to manage SIBO, let's review why it should be eradicated in the first place. It basically goes like this: bacteria from your colon have overpopulated their home, so they move up the plumbing. If they get far enough up, they make it to the duodenum, where about 75% of the absorption of what you eat takes place. If you have increased gut permeability from too many lectins in your diet (which are found in high concentrations in all grains, as well as legumes), that bacteria can get into your bloodstream. The literature is starting to lean heavily on the idea that most auto-immune diseases start in the gut.

Common symptoms for SIBO are everything from reflux to diarrhea, and it has been implicated in Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and rheumatoid arthritis, and some are even connecting it to lupus. Go to Pubmed.gov and start searching. It will blow you away. I have one paper on my hard drive at home where 100% of the fibromyalgia patients and and 84% of the IBS patients tested had SIBO. When fibromyalgia patients walk through the door here, we go hard core anti-inflammatory, otherwise we're just chasing symptoms.

To overcome the SIBO, you have to do two things: starve it and kill it. This is a war for your health, after all, so you can't be nice to the bugs. The prescription for starving SIBO is fairly straight forward--get off the grains. The indigestible carbs in grains are what feeds the bacteria. This is one of the major ways that grain consumption is so inflammatory. Uncontrolled inflammation leads to a whole host of the diseases of the west. Want to know what you're genetically susceptible to getting? What's your family history? Heart disease? Cancer? There's your answer. For me it's heart disease (dad's side), and dementia (mom's side). Both of those diseases are caused, in part, by uncontrolled inflammation. I think I'll do my best to pass.

As far as killing SIBO, my recommendation is to try 600 mg a day of oil or oregano for six weeks. Oil of Oregano (OoO) should be in an emulsified form that will help it make it to the bad bugs. OoO is also a potent anti-inflammatory in it's own right, so it's something that I dance with on occasion. If I even have an inkling that there's some gastro intestinal upset in the works I throw some down the hatch. If I had any kind of auto immune disease I would treat with OoO just to see what happens. There are no contraindications that I'm aware of, so the worst case scenario is that nothing happens and you're out a few bucks, but the potential benefits are huge. So, why not?

There are drug therapies for SIBO, too, most notably an antibiotic called rifaximin, which targets the specific area of the gut where SIBO does the most damage. Either way you go, the rub is that it will come back, even after a good killin', if you don't change the habits that started the whole process in the first place. So join me in the grain free challenge. People who did just that in January reported losing weight (some were dropping a pound a day for a couple of weeks straight), and less joint pain (which is something I ask people about all day long, since that's why they're here in the first place).

If OoO interests you, let it be known that I sell some here, and the brand I sell was recommended to me by the guy who wrote Integrative Rheumatology, which is a textbook that I regularly review when I write this kind of stuff.

Biscuits!

I thought I'd show you guys some love, since I've been beating you all down with my no grains talk since January. I stand by all that I've said, but I also want to give you some great ways to get around the whole no grains thing. There are basically two food groups that people miss the most when avoiding grains: crunchy, and biscuits. Today we'll cover biscuits, and we'll get to some crunchy soon, too.

First, you need to me my friend: almond flour. We prefer this brand, but I' sure there are others. We've started buying it in the 25 pound bags because we use so much. The recipe for biscuits I'm about to throw your way is from this book. I think we've (and by "we," I mean, "Cara") improved a little on the original recipe. We've also made the pancakes, which I don't like that much more than pancakes made from coconut flour, but it is a nice variation.

What you need:
2.5 cups of almond flour
.5 tsp of baking soda
.5 tsp of salt (or a whole tsp of kosher, which is my preference)
1 tsp of lemon juice
2 eggs
1/8 cup of maple syrup (the original calls for agave nectar, which I would advise against because of the super high fructose level. I'll write something about the reason for that soon.)
1/4 cup of melted butter (unsalted), or coconut oil (we use butter)
(Decimals! Fractions! I'll use them all!)

350 oven. 15 to 20 minutes on a Silpat or parchment paper (or just lube up a cookie sheet with oil)--divided into 8 servings.

We (and again, "we"="Cara") often add frozen blueberries, which is super awesome. A cup and a half of frozen blueberries adds about 15 minutes to the cook time. They should be golden on top, and a toothpick inserted into the biscuits will come out clean. Raisins and cinnamon go well in them too. Play with it. With our strawberry shortcake  a few days ago there was half a lemon's worth of zest in the batter. They were served with some fresh strawberries and  some whipped, unsweetened coconut cream. Delicious.

See? Who loves you?

Who's Been Eating Beans?

I made a comment on Facebook about peas being an irritant to the gut recently, and although I was referring to the Black Eyed Peas and their horrendous half time "song," the fact is that peas, which fall under the broader category of legumes, really can irritate the GI tract in the same ways that grains can. For some of you, this means you may be better off skipping the beans.

Legumes do have some redeeming qualities, though. Unlike grains, the protein in beans is fairy easy for your body to absorb when they're cooked well. A long soak helps beans become more gut friendly. Still, beans are full of fiber that we can't digest on our own. That fiber, however, gives the bugs in your gut a bean buffet to feast on, which can lead to, among other things, funny jokes about beans. If you know what I mean.

Some legumes have higher amounts of protein than others--lentils come to mind. They're no grass fed steak, but they do have some redeeming qualities. Some legumes are more starchy, like my personal favorites, lima beans. I generally try to avoid excess consumption of all legumes, but I'll happily eat some refried beans at a Mexican restaurant on the occasions when I eat out. Just being real with you. Some of the more hard core "paleo" crowd out there won't touch them, and I do understand the motivation, I'm just more of a moderation kind of guy when it comes to legumes.

Legumes do contain a high amount of lectins, which I wrote about in the above linked grains post a few weeks back. Lectins increase gut permeability, and can lead to some pretty nasty auto-immune disorders. But compared to wheat, legumes are a distant second, and not bad enough for me to shun entirely. If I had any of the signs of inflammatory or auto immune disorders, I would be a little more strict with myself.

In the end, I consider legumes a cheat food that I like, but not as much as other cheat foods like cheese or heavy cream. The carbs will add up with beans, and for my money, I'll take the carbs in the form of dark chocolate.

Even More Good News

Funny thing--people are still reading the bad news post about 2 to 1 to the good news post. To catch us all up I decided to give you a little more good news, and this time I'm going to try my best not to spoil it with anything negative. I'm sure I'll fail, but now you know my intentions at least.

Most of the bad news had to do with certain foods causing inflammation. Today's good news will be focused on all the delicious foods, spices, and seasonings that modulate inflammation. And by "modulate" I mean "make not as bad." Which is good. See? Good news!

I'm going to give you a list of these anti-inflammatory tasty treats first, and then, if you want to geek out on the why you can keep reading. And the list, my friends, is long. You see, most of the culinary traditions of the world have in their respective arsenals a virtual menagerie of inflammation fighters. They also have their bad news fare, so the strategy is to delve into the good, and leave the bad behind, or at least eat less of the bad.

Let's get on on with it: spices are where the party is. This is good, because there are practically unlimited combinations of  flavors that can be derived from the spice pantries of the world. Take ginger for instance. It's prevalent in many Asian and Indian dishes, but it's also known to pop up in plenty of other culinary hot spots. It's also one of your new go to modulators of inflammation. Speaking of Indian--many of the spices that frequently show up in Indian dishes are potent anti-inflammatories. turmeric (which gives many Indian dishes and yellow mustard their characteristic yellow tint) and garlic, which frequently show up in curries, are on my list of things to eat as often as you can. Meet you at the buffet.

Cinnamon is also one of the most important spices to add to your flavor enhancement repertoire. Cinnamon, by the way, goes great in meat dishes. Find yourself a Greek cookbook and start exploring. The Greeks figured that last one out a long time ago, and if it weren't for some valuable time I spent teaching at Annunciation Orthodox School in Houston, I may not have ever figured this out. So thanks, AOS!

The reality is, we're just getting warmed up. Other common ingredients from the herb section of the store that pack a healthy punch are basil, mint, rosemary, and thyme. And all of you Tex-Mex/Indian food lovers should be happy to hear that cilantro makes the list as well. The best part is the fact that not only do these spices greatly enhance flavor, they are also virtually calorie free as well as low carb. What's not to love?

Another class of foods that control inflammation are the flavanoids.  You know them as the compounds that give many foods their colors. Examples of flavanoid rich foods are berries, dark chocolate, green tea, dark beer, and red wine. How's that for a list? See? it's not all gloom and doom around here!

(Geeks only from here on out...)
You may remember medications known as "select COX-2 inhibitors," some of which were taken off the market because people were having some serious side effects. Celebrex and Vioxx are two that come immediately to mind (Celebrex is still available, but not Vioxx, just to be clear). COX, short for cyclooxygenase, is an enzyme that turns some of the fatty acids in your cellular membrane into either pro or anti inflammatory mediators.

When we eat too much of the wrong types of fats we make it far more likely that COX is going to be working on that type of fat, and consequently produce the pro inflammatory results we'd all prefer to avoid. All of the above mentioned items keep COX from working so hard to sabotage our biochemistry. The bonus comes with the fact that all that stuff tastes good, too. 

The Good Stuff: Magnesium

 I'm frequently asked which supplements I take--it's a fair question since the person asking is usually someone I just suggested take this or that. My answer: not much of anything, but what I take gives the most bang for the buck. Today I want to spread the love for a supplemental underdog, our old friend magnesium.

Magnesium is found naturally in green leafy vegetables of which we both know you're not eating enough. It's also found in nuts, legumes, and sea food. A quick list of the punch this mineral packs: glucose metabolism, cellular energy transport, calcium transport, nerve signal conduction, over 300 enzymatic reactions. Lack of magnesium in the diet is known for contributing to the following list of stuff I'd rather avoid:

• Muscle weakness, tremor, or spasm
• Heart arrhythmia, irregular contraction, or increased heart rate
• Softening and weakening of bone
• Imbalanced blood sugar levels
• Headaches
• Elevated blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Muscle Cramps
• Panic Attacks
• Hyperactivity

I've written about C-reactive protein (CRP) before, but to review, it's a blood test that measures a marker for systemic inflammation. It is often used to determine one's risk for a coronary "incident." A recent paper, however, shows that elevated CRP means you're at risk for all the inflammatory diseases of the west: cancer, heart disease, and so on. Another recent paper shows a correlation with inadequate dietary magnesium and elevated CRP. One of the diseases that shows up in my family history, and is at least in part a disease of uncontrolled inflammation, is dementia. And I don't want that. Therefore--I take magnesium.

Another important factoid on magnesium supplementation: it helps prevent, and even reverse, bone loss in post menopausal women. Along with that fact, you should know that calcium supplementation doesn't appear to do squat for bone loss. See the abstract here. That paper discusses women on hormone therapy, but my inclination is to think that magnesium, not calcium, is the way to go if you're at risk of developing osteoporosis. Mrs. Green supplements, too.

Another paper I reviewed while writing this post makes a strong case that many of us are deficient, and had this to say about the consequences of that deficiency:

"Patients with so-called exclusion diagnoses (as for example,
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or chronic
fatigue syndrome (CFS) would have their symptoms improved
through Mg therapy.—Similarly, patients with diagnoses of
depression, epilepsy, diabetes mellitus, tremor, Parkinsonism,
arrhythmias, circulatory disturbances (stroke, cardiac infarction,
arteriosclerosis), hypertension, migraine, cluster headache,
cramps, neuro-vegetative disorders, abdominal pain, osteoporosis,
asthma, stress dependent disorders, tinnitus, ataxia,
confusion, preeclampsia, weakness, might also be consequences
of the magnesium deficiency syndrome."

Yikes!

I routinely recommend magnesium supplementation for headache sufferers with great results. It's also in my arsenal for hypertension control (along with CoQ10, which I'll address soon), and the final icing on the (gluten free) cake: it helps you sleep better. And good sleep alone can do quite a bit for a tired soul. This article in the Huffington Post calls magnesium a "chill pill" and describes how it helps you deal with stress.

I'll get into some more of the supplements I take in the days to come. It's a short list, and I've already written about vitamin D, which is my favorite supplement, here and here. Magnesium, though, is a close second. They both have anti-inflammatory functions, and of course we sell them both here at Green Chiropractic. As an aside. it may be worth reviewing my post on supplement quality before you run off to your local mega-mart to buy any of this stuff...

But What About Potatoes?

With the whole no grain challenge I've been getting the same question thrown at me repeatedly: can I eat taters? And of course, the answer is far more than a simple yes or no. Let's have a look at the good, the bad, and the tasty when it comes to these tempting tubers.

Like usual, let's get the bad news out of the way first: potatoes will definitely spike your insulin levels, which is one of the same reasons I advocate avoiding grains. If you're trying to lose weight and get healthy, keeping your insulin levels low and your sensitivity to insulin high is the order of the day. Like I said in the grain post, you only have so much storage capacity for glucose (stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver), and when those cells are full the remaining is shuttled off to your fat tissue. One of the big problems with extra fat is that excess adipose tissue is full of cells that essentially pump out inflammation at an alarming rate, and many of the diseases of the West are diseases of inflammation that's gone unchecked for too long. Even the main stream media is finally getting the message that fat doesn't make you fat.

It's not all bad in tater town, though. Potatoes have a decent omega 6 to 3 ratio of about 4:1. Grains, for example are almost all omega 6, and an imbalance of fatty acids is one of the main culprits in producing a pro inflammatory body chemistry. When I give nutrition lectures I speak of the "three legged stool of healthy eating." Leg one: eat to control inflammation. One of the main ways to do that is to maintain a balance of omega fatty acids, and  since potatoes have a decent ratio they satisfy that leg of the stool.

Leg two is keeping your acid/base balance in check. Your blood Ph is slightly alkaline, and when you eat too much acidic foods like pretty much all protein sources, alcohol, caffeine, dairy, and especially grains, your body has to buffer the load back to alkaline. Fruits and veggies are, for the most part, alkaline, so the idea is that you should eat some protein (acid), and buffer with vegetation. And potatoes, my friends, are alkaline. For those keeping count, that satisfies two legs of the three legged stool. Foods that get this far are cheat foods in my book, and if you time an intense workout and a tater eatin' session just right you can even use the higher glycemic index of potatoes to your advantage.

Leg three, by the way, is keeping your insulin levels in check, which we've already discussed. Sneaky, huh?

When I eat potatoes I try to make it on days when I've worked out hard doing something intense like sprints. Other examples are lifting heavy weights or even your own body weight. The key is to burn the glycogen stores out of your muscles first, so the insulin surge you get when you eat a starchy carb will actually get it's job done without resorting to putting more fat in storage. High intensity exercise on a regular basis will also make your cells more sensitive to insulin so your pancreas won't need to work so hard in the first place. Check back in the near future for a series on exercise...

If I haven't done much working out on a tater eatin' night I try to eat small portion of potatoes in combination with a much larger amount of vegetables of the green variety, which can help modulate the overall glycemic impact. Sweet potatoes, by the way, are lower on the glycemic index than regular potatoes, which I find odd, since they contain the word "sweet" in their name.

So, potatoes. A two-legs-of-the-stool cheat food, and a post high-intensity workout food, too.

See? It's not all bad news around here! And if you have neck or back pain, give us a call at Green Chiropractic!

The Good News

Well now. That last post sure did generate some controversy! In one day it received more hits than my previous number one (the fish oil article) by more than double, and it's still climbing. Much of the feedback has been positive, actually--there are plenty of people out there who have cut grains out in the past, but then let them sneak back into their lives. Their stories are replete with anecdotes about how few and far between illness visited their households, how much better they felt in general, and, once they got into the groove, how easy it was (for a time) to maintain the grain free lifestyle. I had some detractors as well (as expected), many of whom don't take the post seriously (although seriously enough to respond) because I didn't cite the references I used.

So, before the good news, I suppose I should respond to that charge. First off, I write this blog between patients at my office, and, fortunately, there is getting to be less time  between. As this is a blog rather than a scientific journal like, say, Spine, I don't worry too much about the references. I have had plenty of people email me and ask for more information, in which case I give references and so forth.

I love talking about this kind of thing, but in clinical practice I have to focus on the one or two points I can try to get across before the patient tunes me out. I write these kinds of articles as a resource that people can read at their leisure. I always welcome comments and questions, and almost always mention that all my contact information is on the Green Chiropractic website. So don't hold back--ask! Also, it's worth mentioning that these posts shouldn't serve as an official diagnosis or treatment--you have to come to the office to get that.

People have a hard time letting go of grains in part because they're somewhat addictive, as is the nature of carbs. The insulin surges that come with their intake create a day in, day out rollercoaster effect, and  can lead to mood swings and irritability. And like I said in the previous post, filling up your muscle cells with glucose doesn't take too long--the rest is then stored as fat. Walking around with an extra 20 or more pounds of fat isn't all that great for one's psychological status either. The inflammation excess grain consumption causes often manifests clinically as low back pain, joint pain, and even depression. I have one paper (a case study) that details symptoms of schizophrenia related to gluten in the diet.

All grains aren't the same, but the wheat, rye, and barely that I mentioned in the previous post are among some of the bigger troublemakers because of the fact that they contain gluten. The others still contain lectins, phytic acid, and are acidic compared to fruits and veggies. That acidity causes your body to use certain minerals as a buffering agent because human blood Ph is naturally slightly alkaline (between 7.35 and 7.45). Anything too acidic, and your body will mobilize various buffering agents to keep things in that small window of alkalinity. Some of the agents used are magnesium, calcium, iodine, and potassium. We're often deficient in one or more of those, and the metabolic consequences can be anything from headaches to muscle cramps. And of course, too little absorption of calcium can be a problem for those dealing with osteoporosis.

The answer? Eat a whole lot of vegetables. A whole lot. Like, a bunch. To lose weight you need a nutrition dense food that is low on calories, and that describes vegetables perfectly. Anything good to be found in grains is found in far greater concentrations in vegetables. And in vegetables there are little to none of the "anti nutrients" found in grains. Nobody ever got small intestine bacterial overgrowth from eating too much grilled zucchini. Another way to get the calories that you need, as well as plenty of the basic building blocks for your cells is to eat more fat. Time for some more controversy. Here goes.


Fat doesn't make you fat. If you're going to cut grains out of your diet you're still going to need a certain amount of calories to give you the energy you need. Most of those calories are going to come from delicious, flavorful fat. Of course, there is always more to the story, and there is with this one, too. The types of fats you eat are either pro or anti-inflammatory depending on where they came from. For example, grain fed beef eat, um, grains, which are high in the omega 6 fatty acids we discussed in the previous post. We are what we eat, and they are too. So eating fatty, grain fed beef, although delicious, can cause some of the same inflammatory diseases that eating grains cause.

I know not everyone reading this is in Texas, and I truly feel sorry for you if you're not, but here in Texas getting grass fed beef is easier now than it ever has been. For everyone not in the Promised Land, you can find sources of the good stuff at Eat Wild. Cows like to eat grass, you see, and when they do they have the bonus of accumulating fatty acid profiles that favor a higher omega 3 ratio. This type of fat packs your cell membranes with anti-inflammatory raw materials that drive tissue healing. These animals don't need tons of drugs pumped into them either, which is typical of feed lot cows that are force fed grains in the last several months of their lives to fatten them (and consequently, us) up. Other sources of omega 3s are cold water fish and wild game, which also all happen to be both delicious and abundant here in The Promised Land.

Other fats that do a body good are two that we keep on hand here at the Green Compound: coconut oil, and ghee. These fats are mostly saturated fats, and (time to get controversial again) are extremely healthy. For coconut oil we get the big ol' plastic tub from Wilderness Family Naturals, and for ghee, well, we make our own.

Saturated fat is much more of a dietary necessity than the food police have been wanting you to believe. A large chunk of your cellular membranes are made from it, and some (especially those found in coconut oil) even have anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties. It's  also much more stable than the omega 3s and 6s because of its structure, and therefore harder to oxidize. Oxidation leads to all the free radicals you've been hearing about for years that can gang up on your DNA and make it turn into mutant DNA, and unfortunately, that won't give you cool super powers like an X-man. Just illness. Sorry. Like a friend of mine says, though, I don't write the mail, I just deliver it.

You may not happen to have a freezer full of grass fed beef. If you're buying meat from the grocery store, I say go for the leanest cuts as they'll have less of the bad omega 6 fats in them. By the way, have I mentioned that bacon is mostly saturated fat? Have I mentioned that bacon wrapped shrimp is consequently a health food? See, it's not all bad news. I can easily give up the wheat flour biscuits for bacon and coconut flour pancakes. (I am excited to say, that my wife is making some kind of biscuit out of almond flour for breakfast, God bless her.) (I'm now happy to say that they were indeed delicious).

So to reiterate, the goal for the next 30 days is to drop the grains from your diet, and add more, much more, vegetables and fruits. If you've gotta have some starchy carbs you can cheat a little with sweet potatoes, and the occasional serving (serving is not a big pile, by the way) of regular potatoes which have a decent fatty acid ratio, and are alkaline, too. Those cheat foods can be used by your body especially after intense exercise, which will be the subject of a future post.

One last thing: I have no vested interest other than your health (and driving prospective patients to my website) when I write this stuff. What I do have is the experience of having had one of the foremost nutrition experts in the world as a mentor for almost a year (click that link and start reading the stuff in the tables. And all the references are at the bottom). If I have a bias, it's to eat crusty bread, tortillas, and pizza, cause I think all that stuff is tasty. Sometimes I do eat that stuff, but for the most part I practice what I preach, and I'm far healthier at 40 than I was at 30 when I didn't know any of this. It's my desire that you get healthier too, and if you have back or neck pain, that you come see me at Green Chiropractic.