Welcome to the twentieth edition of Viewpoints, our monthly e-newsletter.
We at Insulite Laboratories are well aware that, while the holiday season
between now and the end of the year is a joyous time, it can also be tough for
those seeking a greater sense of well being through control of their
weight.
The Insulite Lifestyle section in this month's edition presents some tips on
ways to enjoy the season without letting all your hard work go to waste. But
we'd like to offer even more support to ensure you stay on the road to weight
loss and better health via a balanced, nutritious diet and regular exercise.
If you eat healthy meals, you will generally feel better and reduce some of the
stress of the holidays. Be aware, for example, of food weaknesses that can add
more stress than nutrition to your daily life. Watch out for the common traps of
sugar overdoses and drinking too little water and too much caffeine, as well as
eating holiday cookies that seem to beckon from every direction.
When cooking, avoid eating your meal while still preparing it and then consuming
more food once it's served at the table. When cleaning up, watch out for
post-meal nibbling.
Don't forget this is also cold and flu season, so stay well in order to maintain
your weight management goals by eating healthy food with plenty of nutrients and
vitamins, like fresh vegetables and fruit.
If you are depressed for any reason, see your doctor or therapist. Crying on
your best friend's shoulder is better for you than raiding your refrigerator.
Finally, it’s always useful to focus on the true meaning of the holidays. The
holiday spirit is not defined by preparing and consuming massive quantities of
food and drink but, instead, by being thankful for these bounties and our
ability to help others who are less fortunate.
The original Thanksgiving celebrated harvest, not consumption. It also
celebrated friendship over feasting, as well as genuine kindness.
Everyone at Insulite Laboratories wishes you a happy and healthy holiday season.
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“Fitness - if it came in a bottle, everyone would have a great
body.”
Good health requires some hard work.
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| INTELLIGENCE REPORT |
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VINEGAR MAY GIVE A DOUBLE BOOST TO DIET AND HEALTH
Something as simple as vinegar could have
unforeseen benefits for people seeking to improve their health by losing weight.
Researchers at Sweden's Lund University have found that vinegar acts as an
appetite-suppressant by reducing the body's insulin response to a carbohydrate
meal, inducing a feeling of 'fullness' which kicks in earlier and lasts longer
than other food.
Vinegar may also play a wider role in promoting good health through careful
control of diet, which is important to prevent excess weight gain and obesity -
now at epidemic levels in the U.S. and around the world.
One way to keep track of healthy meals is to use the Glycemic Index (GI), which
measures how quickly carbohydrates are digested and absorbed by the body. The
lower a food's GI, the less likely it is to make blood glucose levels rise after
a meal, decreasing the risk of developing Cardiovascular Disease. Lower-GI foods
also tend to make one less hungry between meals.
Adding acids like vinegar to a meal seems to lower GI readings. The Swedish
researchers wanted to see whether vinegar also changes levels of glucose and
insulin in the blood stream after meals.
The study focused on 12 healthy, non-smoking volunteers - 10 women and 2 men,
none of whom was overweight or obese. For one week, participants fasted
overnight and then ate pieces of bread that had been soaked with vinegar. A week
later, they ate a piece of bread with no vinegar, with the process repeated over
a number of weeks.
Participants were allowed 12-14 minutes to eat the bread, along with their
choice of 300 milliliters (half a cup) of water, tea or coffee. Blood was drawn
at regular intervals after the meal to measure each participant's level of
glucose and insulin. Each one answered a survey about their feelings of fullness
and hunger after eating the bread.
Researchers found that blood glucose and insulin levels were lower 30 minutes
after eating bread soaked in vinegar than after eating bread without vinegar.
Participants also reported feeling full longer when vinegar was added to their
diet.
High levels of glucose and insulin in the blood stream are classic symptoms of
Insulin Resistance, which lowers the number of insulin receptor sites on the
cell walls and prevents the efficient conversion of glucose into energy. If left
unchecked, the resulting excess of glucose and insulin in the body caused by
Insulin Resistance can lead to obesity. This condition, in turn, may result in
the onset of a number of potentially dangerous disorders, including the cluster
of cardiovascular diseases called Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X and the
hormonal imbalance known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a leading cause
of female infertility as well as skin conditions and excess body and facial
hair.
Insulin Resistance can also be a root cause of reversible Pre-Diabetes which, if
neglected, may lead to Type 2 Diabetes. Managing this latter irreversible
condition may require daily injections of insulin for the rest of the victim's
life.
All Insulin Resistance-related disorders are increased risk factors for a heart
attack or stroke.
Click here to learn about a system that helps reverse Insulin Resistance.
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| NEW RESEARCH |
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OBESE WOMEN RISK LOSING BRAIN TISSUE
Women who suffer from obesity are more likely to lose brain tissue - one of
the first indications that a person is going to develop symptoms of dementia
such as Alzheimer's Disease.
New research published in the journal Neurology focused on almost 300 women aged
between 46 and 60, who were studied over a 24-year period (1).
Every six years, researchers carried out computer tomography (CT) scans to study
their brain tissue and calculated their BMI, or body mass index. BMI is
calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in metres. A
BMI of over 25 is classed as overweight, while more than 30 is regarded as
obese.
The study found that the higher the women's BMI, the greater the chance they
would experience brain tissue loss, known as cerebral atrophy. Just being
overweight raised a woman's chances of being affected, the study found.
Almost 50% of the women lost temporal lobe tissue. The average BMI in that group
was higher than that in the unaffected group throughout the study and the
results were consistent with previous findings showing that being overweight was
a risk factor for Alzheimer's Disease.
Lead researcher Deborah Gustafson said there were a number of reasons for the
link to brain tissue loss, including the increased risk of Cardiovascular
Disease leading to a heart attack or stroke caused by obesity.
"These conditions contribute to an unhealthy vascular system, and therefore to a
higher dementia risk, said Dr. Gustafson, a psychiatrist at Sahlgrenska
University in Gothenburg, Sweden.
"Obesity may also increase the secretion of the hormone cortisol, which could
lead to atrophy. If being overweight or obese contribute not only to diseases of
middle age but also to degenerative diseases of later life, the health
ramifications of excess body fat will stress healthcare systems for many years
to come.
"It appears that obesity is yet another factor that should be actively
intervened upon to reduce diseases of advanced ageing, such as cerebral
degeneration and dementia," she added.
Obesity is often caused by an imbalance of glucose and insulin called Insulin
Resistance, which can be reversed by a nutritious diet and regular exercise.
(1) Neurology; Nov. 22,
2004, Archives of Internal Medicine, archinte.ama.assn.org
Click here to read about how the Insulite System can help aid weight loss by reversing the symptoms of Insulin Resistance
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| WEIGHT LOSS: MYTH OR FACT? |
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Myth: Coffee Energizes Me And Curbs My Appetite So I
Can Skip Breakfast.
Fact: Starting the day with just caffeine in coffee, without a
healthy breakfast, increases blood sugar levels and insulin response, which can
harmful to your cardiovascular system over period of time.
Even if coffee makes you feel less hungry at first, there will still be a spike
in blood sugar, which will leave you feeling hungry within a few hours and
craving carbohydrates. You will also actually be running on low energy levels
from not eating a nutritious diet. By starting your day without caffeine and
eating a breakfast that contains protein, you will notice a drastic improvement
in your blood sugar and energy levels.
Coffee
has been a medical whipping boy for so long that it may come as a surprise that
recent research suggests that drinking moderate amounts (two to four cups per
day) could provide a wide range of health benefits.
According to a spate of new studies, coffee is loaded with antioxidants.
Drinking coffee in moderation as part of a nutritious, balanced diet may lower
the risk of colon cancer by about 25%, gallstones by 45%, cirrhosis of the liver
by 80%, and Parkinson's disease by 50% to as much as 80%. Other benefits include
a 25% reduction in onset of attacks among asthma sufferers and, at least among a
large group of female nurses tracked over many years, fewer suicides.
In addition, some studies have indicated that coffee contains four times the
amount of cancer-fighting anti-oxidants as green tea.
Most of these studies do not take into account how the coffee is brewed, how
fresh the beans are and so on. Perhaps as these studies are refined, we may
discover, for example, that drinking coffee that has been freshly roasted and
brewed is more beneficial than downing coffee that is stale or badly brewed.
Certainly there is considerably more going on chemically in fresh coffee than in
stale. And we may learn how much the beneficial effects of coffee drinking are
provoked by caffeine and how much by other, less understood, chemical components
of coffee. |
| CONSULT DR. MARY |
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Q. Why are carbohydrates so addictive?
A.
Research shows that most people who attempt a weight loss program either fail to
lose weight or can't keep the weight off once they have lost it (1).
Carbohydrate addiction is often a cause of these setbacks because people crave
carbs to induce a sense of calm and happiness. This addiction contributes to
emotional instability, as well as weight gain.
The reason we crave carbs is because we're hard-wired as humans to seek
pleasure. Many are familiar with the fact that the “pleasure center” of the
brain is stimulated by the use of powerful drugs such as heroin, alcohol and
tobacco. But there is little recognition of the impact that sugar has on our
brain chemistry. In the same way that an individual uses drugs to stimulate the
pleasure center, some people eat sugar all day long to induce a feeling of
happiness.
Many attempt a weight loss program while having no idea they are potentially
setting themselves up for failure because by refusing to acknowledge their carb
addiction. Just think. Do most heroin addicts decide to quit using heroin by
themselves? No, they get help. So do alcoholics, in a 28-day, in-patient
program. But there is little support for someone who is trying to stop eating
sugar.
Sugar is available everywhere and is part of almost every kind of food, so it's
hardly surprising that we are a country of sugar addicts. This corresponds
directly to the ever-growing incidence of obesity in the U.S.
Carbohydrate-rich or sugary foods contain tryptophan, an amino acid which leads
to production of a brain chemical called serotonin (2). Low levels of serotonin
lead to insomnia, depression, increased sensitivity to pain and cravings for
carbohydrate. Convenience and comfort foods with high sugar and refined starch
contents feed the addiction.
In sensitive people, particularly those who may have low serotonin levels to
begin with, a carbohydrate binge is the equivalent of self-medication to get a
sugar "high" by stimulating the pleasure center of the brain.
If you feel that you may be a carbohydrate addict, see if you answer yes to 3 or
more questions below. If you do, you could have a carb problem.
- I really like sweet foods and think about them frequently during the day
- I eat a lot of carbohydrate-rich foods because they make me feel better
- I crave bread, cereal, popcorn or pasta
- I am in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction
- Alcoholism runs in my family
- I am overweight and don't seem to be able to easily lose the extra pounds
- I continue to be depressed no matter what I do
- I often find myself overreacting to stress
We at Insulite Laboratories believe that if carbohydrate addiction is not
acknowledged, then weight loss will always be a struggle. If your emotional and
physiological need for carbohydrates is addressed, you can gain control over
your cravings. This will allow the imbalance of glucose and insulin levels in
the blood stream called Insulin Resistance to be reversed, along with its
attendant disorders like Metabolic Syndrome, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
and Pre-Diabetes.
Here are some suggestions to combat carb addiction:
- Eat small meals or snacks containing some PROTEIN every few hours to keep
blood-sugar levels steady. Skipping meals causes blood sugar levels to drop,
which leaves you yearning for processed carbohydrates and sweets for energy.
- Be selective about the carbohydrates you eat. Avoid nutrient-stripped foods
made of white flour, white rice, refined sugar and highly concentrated
sweeteners. Look for foods rich in fiber such as fresh vegetables and fruits,
which level off blood sugar.
- Limit your intake of alcohol, fruit juice and caffeinated drinks. These cause
abrupt blood-sugar highs followed by troublesome blood-sugar lows, leaving you
craving carbohydrates.
- Get enough sleep. Manage your stress. When the body and mind are well-rested,
cravings for carbohydrates often vanish.
- Write a journal about the emotions you experience when you crave
carbohydrates or create a chart that tracks when and why you crave sugary foods.
As you see the patterns emerge, you'll recognize the emotions associated with
cravings and create ways to cope with them.
The first step in your recovery from carbohydrate addiction will occur when you
successfully defeat a craving for sugary food and prevent the pleasure center in
your brain from being stimulated.
Good luck! I know you can do it!
(1) Moorhouse M, Loh E,
Lockett D, Grymala J, Chudzik G, Wilson A. Carbohydrate craving by
alcohol-dependent men during sobriety: relationship to nutrition and
serotonergic function. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2000 May;24(5):635-43
(2) Cangiano C, Laviano
A, Del Ben M, Preziosa I, Angelico F, Cascino A, Rossi-Fanelli Effects of oral
5-hydroxy-tryptophan on energy intake and macronutrient selection in non-insulin
dependent diabetic patients. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1998
Jul;22(7):648-54
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“For the first time since I can remember, I have gone a full cycle (no
bleeding in between). I want you to know -
YOU TOTALLY ROCK!!!
I'm well aware that this doesn't mean I'm fixed but it sure is a nice
start.Thank you so much for putting me on the right road!”
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- Sarah
Longmont, CO
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Insulite Laboratories would like to share other
experiences like this one to inspire our many clients on the same path. Tell
us your story and we will use it in a future issue of this newsletter, as
well as on web sites and affiliate sites.
If you are uncomfortable with us publishing your full name, we are quite
happy to use your initials or first name to preserve your anonymity. We do
ask that you include the name of your hometown and state or, in the case of
our numerous clients outside the U.S.A., your country. Please email us at
testimonials@insulitelabs.com
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Have You Been Diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome?
If You Have, We’re Glad That You Have Found Us.
We’re Here to Support You.
Insulite Laboratories is committed to reversing Metabolic Syndrome (also
known as Syndrome X) by giving you a better understanding of your condition
and its underlying cause, Insulin Resistance.
Supporting you in any way we can is central to our philosophy.
So we are pleased to announce the introduction of the Insulite MetaX System,
which has been scientifically-formulated to help reverse Insulin Resistance
and Metabolic Syndrome. It contains an ingredient called Meta-OmegaX which
is targeted specifically at the symptoms of this potentially dangerous
cluster of cardiovascular diseases, which, if neglected, can lead to a heart
attack or stroke.
For much more information about Metabolic Syndrome and the Insulite MetaX System, visit our latest website at metabolic-syndrome.insulitelabs.com
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| DID YOU KNOW? |
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EXCESS SALT CAN BE BAD FOR YOUR HEART
Last month's edition of Viewpoints detailed how salt is a common
cause of fluid retention, which can add an extra 6-8 lbs to a woman's
weight. This month's edition focuses on ways to remove excess salt from
your diet, such as substituting lime juice, in order to reduce the risk
of heart disease.
A diet high in salt is linked with hypertension (high blood pressure),
which can cause Cardiovascular Disease, leading to a heart attack or
stroke. Simply cutting your daily salt intake by 3 1/2 gms can lower
your blood pressure and cut your risk of heart disease by more than 10%.
The body needs some sodium from salt to function properly. But more and
more people are realizing too much is bad for their health.
Consequently, many are taking salt off their dinner tables. Yet three
quarters of the white stuff is actually hidden in processed foods,
including ready meals, cereal and soup.
Try to reduce your salt intake to the maximum recommended six grams a
day, which is one teaspoonful. Taste buds adjust in a few weeks to less
salty food and you can reduce salt gradually to help yourself adapt.
Tip one: Take stock and make your own gravy. Pre-produced gravy cubes and
granules are a hidden source of salt. Create chicken stock by boiling
the bones with vegetables like carrot chunks, leeks, onions and celery.
Bay leaves are a wonderful aromatic seasoning.
Tip two: Always check the label. Look for foods with 'no added salt' or
check for 'reduced salt' versions of old favorites. Also get into the
habit of checking the back of ready-meals to see how many grams of salt
they contain. Some labels only mention sodium and not salt. If this is
the case, convert sodium to salt by multiplying the number by 2.5.
Tip three: Lime can give amazing zest to a meal. Use it instead of salt.
Substitute red wine for salt in stews and casseroles. Do the same with
white wine in risottos and sauces for chicken.
Tip four: Make your own bread. It might a good idea to invest in a bread
maker because some bought bread contains 0.5g of salt PER SLICE.
Therefore just one sandwich contains a sixth of your daily salt intake.
Some 'thick sliced' brands can contain as much as one gram of salt per
slice. There are plenty of recipes for baking delicious healthy bread.
Plus there's no smell quite so appealing as that of freshly-baked bread.
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“It is remarkable how one's wits are sharpened by physical
exercise.”
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- Pliny theYounger |
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Keep fit and you'll stay smart. |
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INSULITE LIFESTYLE: TIPS
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MANAGING YOUR WEIGHT OVER THE HOLIDAY SEASON
With so many mouth-watering treats on offer in the weeks between now and
the end of the year, even the most dedicated dieter can be blown off course.
But the holiday season doesn't have to be an agonizing choice between
feasting and self-denial.
Here are some simple ideas to ensure you enjoy the treats of the season while
maintaining your progress to better health and well being via weight loss.
1. Turkey is actually quite lean and healthy (especially
the white meat). It's the skin and the trimmings that pile on the pounds.
Send the gravy boat sailing elsewhere and pass on the butter. Make simple
and relatively easy choices with big pay-offs. Load up on other healthier
side dishes like salads, corn-on-the-cob (without butter), squash and mashed
potatoes made with skim milk.
2. There’s no reason to skip dessert every time. Just don’t eat
full-servings. Similarly, just because friends or loved ones give you a
beautiful box of chocolates, it doesn’t mean you have to eat them all at
once - or eat them at all, for that matter. Ask yourself if you really want
these food-related gifts before you open them. While generally not
returnable, this kind of gift can be recycled as a donation to a local
charity fund-raiser.
Encourage your friends to be healthy. If you usually give them chocolates as
gifts, consider fruit baskets instead.
3. Post-Thanksgiving shopping has become nearly as much a part of the
holiday tradition as the turkey itself. While mall-walking is generally
great exercise, the healthiest walk you take may be the one that bypasses
the food court. Go home to eat nutritious Thanksgiving leftovers, instead.
If you’re really stopping at the food court just to rest your feet, don’t
feel obligated to eat. A bottle of water will go a long way towards
refreshing you and be so much better for your health.
4. A big holiday problem is falling behind with exercise routines or
dropping them altogether. When the hustle and bustle of the holiday season
invades already over-scheduled days, exercise is often the first thing to be
sacrificed (after sleep!). If going to the gym really becomes inconvenient,
try other holiday-related activities.
Suggest to your friends that you form a mall-walking club together, which
will prevent bad weather interfering with exercise plans and save you time
because you can do some shopping afterwards.
Get your family to pitch in with the cooking and washing-up. All too often,
Mom is left to do both while Dad and the kids go off and have fun. If
everyone helps, there'll be time and energy left for everyone to grab some
fresh air together during a healthy walk or bike ride in the local park
afterwards.
5. Alcohol may be a great social lubricant but it's also high in calories
and saturated fats. If you’re looking for easy ways to trim holiday
calories, watch your alcohol consumption. You may want to think in terms of
having a drink or dessert but not both.
And, of course, the most important health recommendation of all is don’t
drive if you’ve had more than one alcoholic drink or let anyone else drive
in that situation.
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 It's
hard not be crazy about cranberries over the holiday season, so here are
some tips for getting the most out of one of the handful of fruits native to
North America.
- Look for bright, plump cranberries and avoid soft, crushed or
shriveled berries.
- Peak season is September through December.
- Fresh cranberries will keep in the refrigerator for 4-8 weeks. You can
freeze fresh cranberries for longer storage.
- You can substitute frozen cranberries in most recipes calling for the
fresh variety.
- Do not wash cranberries until ready for use, as moisture will cause
quicker spoilage
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- When a recipe says "cook until the cranberries pop," don't expect the
sound of popcorn. This simply mean the berry's outer skin will expand until
it bursts.
Long before the Pilgrims arrived in 1620, Native Americans were mixing
mashed cranberries with deer meat to make pemmican - a forerunner of
convenience food that kept fresh for long periods of time. Cranberries were
also used for medicinal purposes and their juice was a natural dye for rugs,
blankets and clothing.
Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins (PACs) that can prevent the adhesion
of certain bacteria, including E. coli, that are associated with infections
to the urinary tract wall. The anti-adhesion properties of cranberry may
also inhibit the bacteria associated with gum disease and stomach ulcers.
Additionally, cranberries and cranberry products contain significant amounts
of antioxidants and other phytonutrients that may help protect against heart
disease and cancer.
So you can enjoy the taste of cranberries and benefit from their healthy
qualities all at the same time.
Have fun!
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You are
well on the way to reversing your Insulin Resistance and preventing its related
conditions such as PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), Metabolic Syndrome
(Syndrome X) and Pre-Diabetes. You are also taking important steps to achieving your desired weight loss goal
and the healthy lifestyle you deserve.
Remember that persistence is crucial.
We at Insulite Laboratories are
committed to your success and your well being. We're here to help you.
Please contact us with any questions or to order the Insulite System, Insulite PCOS
System, or the new Insulite MetaX System at info@insulitelabs.com
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DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this newsletter is for the sole purpose of being informative.
This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice. Always seek the advice
of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take
any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have
regarding a medical condition.
Nothing contained in or provided through this newsletter is intended to be or is to be used or relied
upon for medical diagnosis or treatment. Your use of our newsletter opportunity is subject to certain
terms and conditions including, but not limited to, the fact that you have not been seen, evaluated or
diagnosed by a qualified medical/health care provider through the use of our newsletter service.
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