High Magnesium can Lower Blood Sugar

Obesity and diabetes rates are soaring in the United States and many Americans are finding it harder and harder to keep their blood sugar stable. Metformin and other diabetic medications are being given to individuals who are showing pre-diabetic and insulin resistance in an effort to slow the progression to Type 2 Diabetes. This is a huge concern because these medications can have debilitating side effects such as headaches, diarrhea, nausea, indigestion, and even vomiting which can severely impact the daily lives of these patients.

We need to find some natural options for these individuals that can help to restore normal blood sugar and decrease insulin response. I've already discussed in previous blogs how diet can play a huge role in not only how your body uses the food you eat, but also how most white flour products (breads, pasta, and processed or boxed foods) and processed sugars can also alter the way your metabolic hormones respond to the food you intake. My recommendations up to this point have been to increase water intake to half your body weight in ounces daily, get 8-10 servings of fruit and vegetables everyday, and to cut out or significantly reduce the amount of bread products and processed sugars you consume. For many of my patients I have also recommended Sugar Balance to help restore insulin response associated with syndrome X, obesity, and type 1 and 2 diabetes.

According to a recently published study from the Medical College of Qingdao University in China, high dosages of magnesium have been shown to significantly lower increased blood sugar, fasting blood glucose, and also increase the expression of insulin receptors on the pancreas and in skeletal muscle in Type 2 diabetic rat models. This study compared magnesium dosages of low (200mg) to medium (1000mg) to high (2000) daily. This is a huge step towards understanding the relationship of essential nutrients in regulating body processes and also introducing an additional mineral that should be evaluated in individuals with insulin resistance and diabetes.

So whats the big deal about magnesium? Well it's used by every organ in your body including the heart, muscles, and kidneys and it also helps to build bone and teeth strength. Approximately 90% of Americans are magnesium deficient and since most of us aren't eating our nuts and dark green leafy vegetables we are really lacking! So how can you make sure that you're getting enough magnesium? I usually find that many of my patients that are suffering from muscle cramping, spasms, and overall tightness are severely deficient in magnesium. I recommend you should start by talking to your doctor about taking a high quality and highly absorb able form of magnesium such as Triple-Mag to increase your magnesium intake. Since individuals vary in how much of a deficiency of magnesium they need, I usually recommend a nutritional consultation with our office by appointment or phone consultation on risk factors, dietary intake, and how to perform a magnesium calibration to make sure you're getting enough.

As a helpful guide to determine if you're magnesium deficient, I've listed common symptoms of magnesium deficiency below:

• Agitation
• Anxiety
• Restless Leg Syndrome
• Sleep disorders
• Irritability
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abnormal heart rhythms
• Low blood pressure
• confusion
• muscle spasm or weakness
• hyperventilation
• insomnia
• poor nail growth
• seizures

If you're concerned that many of these symptoms apply to you or that you're not getting enough magnesium, I highly recommend calling our office to schedule a phone consultation to determine risk factors, your dietary intake, and how much magnesium you truly need. Call 309-689-6200 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Andrea Schnowske today.

5 Ways the Brain is affected by Sugar

Obesity rates are on the rise in the United States and many folks find their weight getting out of control without realizing how obesity really affects their bodies, brains, and their health. The main causes of obesity are due to hormone changes in the body and resistance to the effects of sugar which are due to over indulgence and declining muscle mass due to inactivity.

According to The Indian Sugar Mills Association, sugar is classified as a food "used to improve the palatability of many foods" and is the "cheapest instant source of energy" (ISMA, 2005). However recent research has shown that sugar has similar effects in the brain to select abusive drugs and has a dependency associated with it as well. Sugar is also responsible for changing many psychological and physical functions in the body almost immediately including increasing insulin beyond normal levels, increasing estrogen levels, causing an increase in weight gain, and also effecting aldosterone levels responsible for maintaining blood pressure.

So how does sugar intake and obesity effect our brain?

1) Sugar causes addiction. When we eat sugar the serotonin receptors in our brain that are responsible for "feeling good" are flooded with sugar very similarly to the way heroin acts in our brains as well. This can lead to addiction over a short period of time and can also cause an association between sugar and pleasure. As a result we may associate periods of sadness with a need to eat sugary foods. Think eating ice cream when we are depressed or eating a whole box of chocolates in one sitting. Overtime our brains will eventually dull to this sensation and we will need more sugar to get the same "good" feelings.

2) Obesity causes immune system dysfunction. In a recent study by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, obesity has been shown to cause system wide inflammation in the body which leads to decrease immune responses and it there has also been a causative link associated between the increased inflammation and brain damage to the orbitofrontal cortex responsible for controlling impulsive behavior. After this area of the brain is damaged, children tend to act more impulsively and partake in uninhibited eating patterns that cause further obesity.

3) Obesity increases risk for dementia. Studies have shown that visceral fat which is the fat between our organs in the abdomen specifically causes an alteration of normal hormones in addition to the aforementioned systemic inflammation. This combination can lead to brain damage that can lead to a decreased total brain volume which is associated with a higher risk of dementia as well as poor function on cognitive tests.

4) Dieting fads cause binge eating under stress. According to a study in the Journal of NeuroScience in January they found that  mice who lost 10-15% of their body weight tended to eat more then they normally would in stressful situations and their gene expression for regulating stress responses were changes as well. This combination of gene changes and our previous addiction and association of sugar to "feeling good" can cause people under stress to food binge which can lead to further obesity and hormonal changes.

5) Obesity causes memory loss. A study published in the Journal of American Geriatric Society looked at associations between memory function tests and BMI and found that for each BMI point increase there was a 1 point lower association on the memory function tests. Hypotheses as to why are associated with brain damage due to systemic inflammation and the effects of hormones released by fat.

So what can you do to reduce your risk and adopt some Healthy Habits?

Eat a balanced diet rich in lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables. Try to cut back on processed foods such as white flour, white sugar, and boxed foods which can lead to body inflammation, sugar addiction, and obesity.  Stay active and engage in regular exercise to reverse changes associated with sugar addiction, insulin dysfunction, and obesity.

What are the benefits of chocolate?

Now now I know many of you are thinking why in the world is she talking about chocolate and benefits in the same sentence, but the truth of the matter is that sometimes you just need a little nibble after a meal to truly feel satisfied. I just happen to be one of those people and I am here today to share with you some of the benefits (and cons) of chocolate and some Paleo friendly chocolate choices.

So let us start at the beginning of the chocolate making process so we can understand where our food comes from. To begin with cocoa beans are fermented and processed to form cocoa solids and butter. The cocoa solids are mostly used to create dark chocolate while the cocoa butter alone is mostly used to create white chocolate. Now where does milk chocolate come in do you think? Well to sum it up milk chocolate is made primarily of a mix of milk solids, sugar, and a small amount of cocoa solids for the chocolate taste. All chocolate has a varying amount of cocoa butter and sugars added to add a bit more tongue friendly taste since cocoa solids are bitter all by their lonesome.

So before I get to the benefits I do want to go over some cons and warnings about chocolate consumption so that you're aware and informed before you dive in to defend chocolate as a main food staple of Paleo. (It's not and shouldn't be a large part of anyone's diet matter of fact.) So one main con of chocolate is in fact the sugar additives contained to make it sweeter. Sugars can lead to insulin dysregulation, hormone imbalance, and weight gain no matter how you look at it and how much you consume. So that little nibble of chocolate should have as little added sugar as possible if you're going to indulge your sweet tooth. Another con of chocolate is the high amounts of phytic acid and oxalates which can bind to essential minerals like calcium, iron, and magnesium that are essential for strong bones and many body functions. High oxalate contents can also lead to the formation of kidney stones, so you must be careful when consuming foods that are high in oxalates (spinach, beets, and parsley also fall in this category). The last con I am going to share with you today is that many chocolate factories can contaminate their chocolate with soy lecithin as an emulsifying agent or even some gluten grains. So if you're going to indulge in chocolate and you have a gluten allergy please be careful and go for a higher quality chocolate with better processing quality.

Now on to the benefits! Dark chocolate is a good source (not great) of iron and magnesium. Dark chocolate is also rich in antioxidants which can help prevent free radical damage in your body. Dark chocolate is usually very low in sugar so it can be the healthiest choice for your sweet tooth and help to satisfy a dessert craving. As another plus, cocoa butter is a healthy fat provided its high in saturated fats and low in polyunsaturated fats. It can also be used to help make healthier dessert preparations for a mild chocolate taste. So if your sweet tooth needs a treat a square of dark chocolate that's low in sugar is a great choice to bypass dessert.

So what are some good brands of dark chocolate that are paleo friendly? According to the Paleo chocolate sampling expert opinions of Jonathan and Julie:
1) TCHO Pure Notes Dark "Chocolatey" 70% (TCHO also offers a flavor wheel of chocolate flavors including nutty, citrus, earthy, and chocolatey.)
2) Green & Black's Organic Dark 85 ( they also boast an espresso flavor)
3) Theo Spicy Chile 70%
4) Endangered Species All Natural Extreme Dark Chocolate 88%
5) Dagoba Xocolatl Bar 74%

As an added plus I've seen #4 at the local Schnucks, Hyvee, and Naturally Yours here in Peoria :) As an extra chocolatey bonus for those of you whose sweet tooth is now salivating... I've included a link to a delicious Paleo Friendly Chocolate Coffee Caramel Bar. MMmmmm I can't wait to try this one!

Changing your Shoes Decreases Knee Pain

If you're suffering from knee pain or osteoarthritis then you need to rethink your wardrobe and how it is affecting your foot health. If you haven't been paying attention to how your choice in shoe can affect how much torsion and pressure is put on your knees, then you are doing your body a severe injustice.

When you wear shoes with a "positive" heel you are doing the equivalent of wearing a heel. (Yes, that is correct. Even if you are a man you could be wearing a heel!) Positive heeled shoes have a large wedge underneath the heel and cause our weight to be shifted forward over the pads of the foot and the toes which aren't meant to be the load bearing structures in the feet. This can lead to foot pain, plantar fasciitis, bunions, and some pretty gnarly looking feet! (Yes, I said gnarly and no I don't want to show you pictures of some of the feet I've seen walking into my office.) In addition, the weight shifting on the front of the foot can cause excessive loading over the arch in the foot and lead to fallen arches due to weaken muscles that have spent their lifetime encased in restrictive footwear with no where to stretch and no use for them to move. But the real reason you stopped in today was to learn about how shoes can affect your knees, so I'll get back on track.

When you wear these positive heeled shoes they can also increase the amount of pressure put on the joints in your knees and lead to premature degeneration, pain, muscle imbalances, and even osteoarthritis. All of which are not fun by the way. So you need to lay off the positive heeled shoes and switch to either negative heeled shoes or flats. I personally love and highly recommend Earth Shoes because they have incorporated this negative heel technology of 3.7 degrees of a heel in the front of the shoe to keep your weight back on your heel. I have four different pair in different colors and styles to compliment my wardrobe and go with almost any outfit. I also find them very comfortable because not only do they put my weight over the load bearing ankle (where it should be) but they also have a large toe box (the width of the shoe where your toes go) to minimize pressure and rubbing that can also disfigure your feet. I've also had much experience with the fact that wearing these shoes all day long does NOT cause foot pain or knee pain while the gazillion other shoes I have in my closet do. There's also a few other more sporty brands that I'd recommend including Vibrams, Zemgear, Sockwa, and I've even seen that Nike and New Balance have come out with some as well.

Recent research from the University of Sao Paulo has found that wearing minimalist shoes which are shoes that lack supportive structure, arches, and thick heel padding can also decrease the loads on the knee in patients with osteoarthritis. In addition, their newest research has shown that these minimalist shoes also decreased the load on the knee even when climbing up and down stairs, which is usually the worst issue for osteoarthritis patients. Want more info on the study? 

So what can you do to decrease your knee pain?

1) Switch to a negative heeled shoe or a flat shoe.
2) Let your tootsies out of their shoe cages at least 2 hours or more a day. Make sure that you spend this time walking so you can move those joints and stretch out the muscles associated for happier feet.
3) Strengthen the supportive muscles of the knee joint to make sure that you lessen the load on the joint. If you're not sure what kind of exercises to do or not sure which muscles are weak, please make appointment with your biomechanically inclined doctor to get some advice and guidance. If you need a hint on this one think chiropractor, physical therapist, or orthopedist.
4) Get your feet adjusted by a chiropractor! I've had quite a few patients come into my office with knee pain and are amazed by the fact that an adjustment can correct the mechanics of the foot and leg and even decrease low back pain. If you need a chiropractor, I just happen to know a local one that fills the qualifications for #3 and #4 on this list. 

Paleo Cookie Fail

So I've embarked on 2 days of Paleo so far and my week has been full of laughs. For day one, I had a co-worker bring in very delicious looking cookies that were "yummied" by fellow co-workers in front of me. This was interesting since I had work to do in the break room table. I can definitely say the cookies got a few dirty looks from myself and while tempting, I did resist!

Unfortunately this got my baking itch moving for the day. (For those of you that don't know me, I loveeeee to bake and frequently go on baking sprees that I share with neighbors, friends, family, and coworkers when I go overboard with treats.) This means I was in full baking frenzy mode by the time I got home that night. I searched for the paleo dark chocolate chip recipe in hopes that it would quell my need to bake and satisfy my sweet tooth while I was at it. I came across quite a few different recipes, but unfortunately none of them quite fit the bill for my yet fully stocked Paleo kitchen. (A Paleo kitchen looks similar to a regular kitchen albeit a bit less in the pantry and a much more colorful assortment of fruits and vegetables in the fridge.) I had only coconut flour and it seemed that most of the cookie recipes called for almond flour or an almond flour/coconut flour mix. So embarked on a Paleo baking spree to try out the first recipe while substituting coconut flour for almond flour.

For those of you that haven't tried this, I assure you it does not work nor resemble a cookie after baking. Coconut flour absorbs much more liquid than almond flour and thus I ended up having to triple up on wet ingredients to make it anywhere near moist enough to stick together. After pouring it on a baking sheet (alas no parchment paper or silicone mat) coated in coconut oil and baking.... It resembled a very sad looking pancake with dark specs. It was done all the way through however and being the adventurous gal I am I tried it. It reminded me of a gooey pancake that someone might make as a joke because you can't really bite into it. Not too bad but not too good either.

Back to the mixing bowl.... Recipe #2 called for a little more zest and ingredients such as baking soda and vanilla for flavoring so I decided that I might be able to make due with this one and just doubling up on moist ingredients. Matter of fact, a light bulb in fact went off over my head when I thought that instead of dark chocolate chips I could try adding all natural peanut butter for that extra moisture. After mixing the batter and having it resemble actual cookie batter I thought I might have come across a winner. So I baked them for 6 minutes as the slightly modified and substituted recipe called for. They looked pretty good coming out of the oven if I do say so myself, however the taste was not anywhere near anything I have ever tasted in my life. It had almost no taste (other than that of a somewhat chalky after taste) and you could barely taste the peanut butter. Cookie attempt #2 was also a fail.

I gave up on my baking frenzy and decided it would be best to focus on ideas for breakfast, so I hard boiled some eggs instead. Sometimes the best recipes are the ones that haven't changed in years and the ones that are most flexible in meal time. I definitely didn't discover anything out of this Paleo world good, but I think I found that eggs can be incorporated for breakfast, as a side at lunch, or to top a salad at dinner. Just make sure to indicate that they are hard boiled on the shell so you don't try to crack one for breakfast. I found a great trick is to use a crayon (I have plenty of these around the house compliments of Camryn) or a black sharpie to mark an X on the top of the shell.

Well so long for now and hopefully next time I will bring you some more palate friendly recipes that are Paleo and tummy friendly. PS If you find any other dessert recipes that are Paleo to die for, please let me know!! :)

The Paleo 30 Day Challenge

Ladies and Gentlemen....On August 1st 2012, I am embarking on a 30 day Paleo Diet Challenge. I am going to eat nothing but Paleo approved meals which means I will be cutting out all processed sugars and white flour or wheat products from my diet for 30 days. We have been reading the book Paleo Solution here in the office and researching the effects of refined sugars and grains on our bodies. The results are in and eating refined sugars and grains have been harming our bodies by causing inflammation and leading to chronic diseases such as auto immune disorders, food sensitivity, sugar dysregulation, and hormone imbalance. If you haven't heard anything about the Paleo diet or the "caveman" diet or the hunter-gatherer diet as its also known, I highly recommend picking up this book, The Paleo Solution. It's a bit technical in some parts but really gets the point across about how refined sugars and carbs are affecting your health on a cellular level.

For others that are curious what this diet is really all about, the main idea is that we return to the diet of our ancestors who foraged off the land and had to keep moving to survive instead of setting up farms. They ate a diet full of protein and rich in seasonal fruits and vegetables. Their lives might not have been as long as ours, however they lived full lives with plenty of activity and traveling long distances to forage the land. This is the one part of our lives that is missing now, the movement part. Many of us sit at a desk or stand in one place on our feet all day and then return home to eat large meals and sit on the couch and watch TV. In addition, we eat a diet full of processed and refined carbs that cause us to pack on the pounds. In the wake of this change, we've seen droves of disease and metabolic disorders rise in astounding numbers in our population. I won't bore you with more details, but if this sounds eye opening to you I'd highly suggest you look more into "paleolithic diet" or "caveman diet" or "blueprint diet".

In the meantime I do want to share some family and kid friendly recipes, because the application is the hardest part in our society today. So below find a 2 year old approved breakfast compliments of my daughter Camryn and an easy crockpot dinner that will impress guest's palates.

In case you're wondering whats on her plate: Pork sausage cooked with fresh basil leaves and chopped garlic for the hair, 2 slices of ripen peaches for eyebrows, green grapes for eyes, nose, and earrings, and banana sliced for the mouth. Fried eggs or hardboiled eggs also work great for eyes.

Now for dinner: Cranberry Pork Roast

Ingredients: 1/2 cup to 1 cup all natural cranberry juice, 2 tbsp coconut flour, 1/2 cup golden raisins, 2-3 tbsp ground ginger, 2 tbsp dried mustard, 2 tbsp garlic powder or 4 sliced cloves, salt and pepper, 1/2 small lemon for garnish, 2-3 lb pork roast, and a crockpot. I also added some fresh basil leaves for a bit more flavor punch but it tastes great without as well.

Pour cranberry juice in bottom of crockpot until fills whole bottom about 1/2 inch. Wash and pat dry pork roast. Rub all spices into roast and place in center of crockpot. Sprinkle coconut flour and raisins over roast. Garnish with 2-3 thin lemon slices. Cook in crockpot on low 8 hours or high for 5 hours. Enjoy :)

What is Crossfit?

You may have heard the word "Crossfit" come up in casual conversation with a friend or new acquaintance , on a website, or even in our office, however many people have no idea what to expect or what "Crossfit" really is. So I'm going to give you a breakdown of what it is, how it helps, and what to expect at your first class.

Crossfit is an international fitness program that is focused on function and natural body movements. There's no restriction on what you can do and they apply an intense and varied workout for everyone that attends class. You won't do the same workout twice in a week and you'll have the opportunity to create a fitness family on whom to rely for support, encouragement, and a team mentality. This program is used to train not only our law enforcement, fire and military professionals, but also prepares us for the challenges of everyday life such as lifting a heavy box up to or down from a taller shelf. Crossfit's goal is a build small tight knit fitness communities so it's members can enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle for life! Crossfit will help you to achieve your health and fitness goals and exceed your expectations of what you really thought was possible.

Crossfit helps transform our bodies by varying workouts so that we can train the body together as one rather than focusing on one area of the body. This ensures that you will be able to avoid injury from repetitive movements or moving the way a machine was designed to move rather than how your body is built to move. In addition Crossfit will help you strengthen, tone, and tighten your body like you never thought possible. Many people have a total body transformation in as little as 5 -10 weeks in which they lose many inches and gain plenty of muscle to sustain that body. Many Crossfit gyms also support the Paleolithic diet which is essentially the hunter gatherer diet of our ancestors that decreases your risk for cancer, auto immune disease, and many other chronic illnesses. They usually will give you a crash course in Paleo diet in order to help you get the nutrients your body needs to support your Crossfit experience.

Here's a video of some of the things that can be done in Crossfit Note: This video may be a little deterring to think you can perform these exercises and motions, but with training and time you'll be amazed that you can do these things!

I went to my first Crossfit class last night and wow was it intense! After viewing some videos online and talking to people to find out what to expect at the first class, I did not think that it would be a workout I could enjoy. After yesterday's class, I can say without a doubt that it was nothing like I expected and it is definitely something that I can do to achieve my goals for fitness and health. At my first class we did a combination of squats, planks, whole body stretching through dynamic movements, and short bursts of running. The only equipment we used was our body, a pvc pipe, a wooden box, and a weighted ball to carry while running. The intensity varied for each person based on their abilities and changes were suggested for those having a hard time keeping up or those with injuries. I've included a video below to give you an idea of what a more beginner type of workout at Crossfit might be.

If you'd like to try a Crossfit workout, I'd recommend calling a local Crossfit gym and talking to them about trying a class for free. Many gyms have days where visitors are welcome to drop in and try a workout.