July 26, 2010

Institute For Medical Wellness Healthy Living Report

Summer Storms

It is amazing how dependent we become on power.  In between the high heat, humidity, thunder storms, and 4+ hour power outage, I was trying to figure out what to do with no lights at night while at home. I do not mind the dark when I am asleep, but it was a bit early yet to get some ZZZ's. So I picked up my cell phone and called my old haunt, Starbucks. They had power, free WiFi internet and an outside table. I may have no power at home, but the new low humidity cooler night air was refreshing. So there I sat, trying to decide what to do with myself, when I starting typing away.

I used to love Starbucks. I originally got hooked on their hot chocolate, and then that morphed into trying their Vivanno protein shakes, which gave me the idea to try to make my own. Actually the second mortgage I had to take out to afford the almost daily Starbucks beverages also weighed into the decision. I wish I could write off all the protein shakes I purchased at Starbucks as a research and development expense. Unfortunately, my accountant nixed that idea ;

Oh well!

When I was hooked on the hot chocolate, my waist size started expanding. It made sense since the hot chocolate had a lot of sugar. Actually "alot" of sugar is an understatement. So when I came across the following article, I thought it would make a good newsletter topic.

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Heart Disease, Triglycerides and waist size:

There are many risk factors I look for when trying to determine heart disease risk. Gender, Obesity, Family History and Diabetes are just a few. But I also have noticed a trend among individuals who have both elevated triglycerides and a big waistline. That is why I was happy to come across this study which somewhat agreed with my observations.

"In the paper, the authors explain that although obesity is a health hazard, not every obese person has the expected metabolic abnormalities associated with excess body fat, and these tend to occur more often in those people with an excess of intra-abdominal or visceral adipose tissue. They have previously proposed that waist circumference can be used as an easy measurement of intra-abdominal adiposity, with elevated triglyceride levels further identifying "dysfunctional" adipose tissue. They suggest that hypertriglyceridemia combined with an increased waistline could be a marker of lipid overflow resulting from a relative defect of adipose tissue to clear and store the excess triglycerides from overeating and lack of physical activity. "

OK ?

I'll try to read through the medical-speak. Individuals who put the majority of their extra fat weight around their waistlines, AND, who have elevated triglycerides, have a higher risk fo heart disease.

Pearl of the day:

If you have an enlarged waistline, and elevated triglycerides, please make an appointment to review your risks. At The Institute For Medical Wellness, our goal is not to treat you after your heart attack, but to prevent your first one!! Our Healthy Heart Program encompasses many new-wave screening techniques. Our Healthy Weight Program- Lite Edition is very succesful at helping you achieve a healthier weight, with the majority of weight coming off your waistline. While some of my medical beliefs may go against the grain of the traditional, they not only get results, but in my estimation, will be the future of preventative care within the next five years.

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