Going Vegetarian?

I think we all know (or at least, assume) that eating more fruits and vegetables is a healthy choice. I have yet to find the person who thinks eating vegetables is BAD for you, although I do have many patients who are afraid that eating fruits will worsen their diabetes. With the recent media focus on the risks of eating red meat (and the link to increased risk of developing diabetes), many people are taking a critical look at their diet and wondering what to do.

My honest recommendation for the majority of us is to simply increase the color in our diet- focus on increasing all the fruit and vegetable servings you eat throughout the day. In addition to that, I encourage patients to try and eat at least one vegetarian meal per week- that's one out of 21- not too much to ask! More is not a problem, mind you, but getting Texans to restrict their red meat can be a challenge, especially in BBQ season...

For those of you considering jumping in full force and becoming vegetarian, there are a few things to remember.

Number one: vegetarian does not equal healthy.

Please remember that eating poptarts and chocolate chip cookies may be vegetarian, but that does not mean you are getting all the nutrients your body needs!

Number two: pay attention to PROTEIN.

When you give up meat, you need to be sure you are getting adequate protein from other sources. Some vegetarians add in seafood (pesco-vegetarians), others add in dairy and egg (lacto-ovo-vegetarians), while vegans consume absolutely no animal products. Protein is found in fish, dairy (cheese/milk) and eggs, but also in nuts, seeds, legumes (dry beans and peas) and some grains. Your daily protein needs are weight and age dependent, but women over 19 need roughly 46g of protein daily, and men >19 need roughly 56g. To give you a frame of reference, a cup of milk has 8 grams of protein, and a cup of dry beans has 21g.

If you are radically changing your diet, I highly recommend you book an appointment with a local registered dietitian to be certain your new food choices will meet all your body's needs.

BOTTOM LINE: Up those vegetables and fruits, and if you are going all-out vegetarian, pay extra attention to your protein!

The ADRENALINE Diet

ADRENALINE- also known as epinephrine- is a hormone that is secreted by the adrenal glands in response to stress. ADRENALINE increases your heart rate, pulse rate, and blood pressure, and raises the blood levels of sugar (glucose) to prepare your body for that "fight or flight" response. So, ADRENALINE makes your heart pound like crazy, burning up calories by the second. What could be better to lose weight, then, right?

Am I suggesting that you head to your doctor and ask for an EPI-pen to kick off your diet? NO! An Epi-pen is an emergency dose of epinephrine that is used for severe allergic reactions. What I AM suggesting is New York Times Best Seller, ADRENALINE, by Jeff Abbott, for your summer reading...on your exercise bike! (or treadmill, or elliptical, if you can be smooth enough to read on them).

I am always looking for ways to entice people to exercise. One carrot that I use for myself is to get fun, gripping novels, and commit to ONLY READING THEM on my exercise bike. The better the book, the more I find time to squeeze in an extra workout session. My ultimate compliment for a book is that I have deemed it "exercise-worthy", meaning that it dragged me back to the exercise bike for at least a second session in a day. I'll confess that I read ADRENALINE in just a few days...but the last day, I biked over 30 miles, because I was so engaged that I had to see "who done it" and why! Jeff's fast-paced thriller probably would have had my heart pounding at a high rate anyway, but on an exercise bike I was oblivious to the fact that my legs were pumping faster and faster as the action heated up. Jeff Abbott's books always keep you guessing, as he manages to create truly unexpected twists in every plot. I also love how he quietly tucks in sympathetic, humane character details in even the most evil villains.

BOTTOM LINE: Improve your fitness, lose weight, and raise your own ADRENALINE this summer, by treating yourself to Jeff Abbott's latest thriller, ADRENALINE.

PS. Got a favorite GRIPPING book to suggest that is "exercise-worthy"? Share it with us here!

Break the "Eat, Repent, Repeat" Cycle!

Tired of that eat, repent, repeat cycle? Dr. Michelle May's new book, Eat what you love, Love what you eat! is your ticket out. BUY THIS BOOK when you are really ready for change. This book is not a new diet to follow, and is not a quick read- but it is worth every minute you invest. Dr. May, a fellow family physician, has done an amazing job of helping readers be able to figure out the WHY behind their weight issues. She is a recovered yo=yo dieter herself, so she clearly understands the complexities of weight management.
I began recommending her book fresh off the presses, and I already have several success stories to share! The best news to me, however, is that my patients have universally agreed that this is the first book where the author "got inside (my) head". Dr. May teaches you to really "eat mindfully", enjoying and savoring flavors, smells, and the company at meals, rather than mindlessly tossing back food on the run.
BOTTOM LINE: If you have struggled with being overweight, buy and read Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat and figure out how to "eat mindfully and live vibrantly"!