Fat Is Your Friend

Since the main purpose of the Tempe Family Fun Run is to assist you and your family on your path towards better health, I thought it would be appropriate to briefly touch on a fairly simple way to lose weight.  But first, we must overcome a falsehood that has been drilled into your brain: fat is the enemy.  My hope is that by the end of this article, you will at least question the previous statement.

So.  Stop reading and take a moment to get out all your exclamations, protests, objections, tears, etc.  Reading this article with a clear mind will better help you absorb this information so take as much time as you need to set your prejudices aside.  Done?  Great.  Now, say out loud with conviction “Fat is NOT the enemy.”

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.  Not all types of fat are beneficial.  I could (and will in the future) spend an entire blog series on the different types of fats, explaining which ones are health-promoting, what types of foods the various fats are found in, etc.  However, the purpose of this article is to plant a seed of truth in your mind that will hopefully grow into a lifestyle change.  

When people adopt the view that “fat is bad”, what do they do when they want to lose weight?  Well, in America, the answer is obvious if you subscribe to any type of media: adopting a low-fat diet is the way to lose weight.  

How many of you out there have had success with that highly marketed and advertised route?  I ask because low-fat diets tend to be high in sugar (you have to replace the calories with some other macronutrient so…sugar/carbohydrates it is) and what time has revealed is that high refined sugar intake leads to weight gain.

An article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in April 2003 interviewed pro-low-carb enthusiast Dr. Robert Atkins (yes, the Atkins Diet doc) and Colette Heimowitz (Director of education and research at Atkins Health & Medical Information Services), pro-low-fat enthusiast Dr. Dean Ornish (founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute) and an impartial third party Thomas Wadden, PhD (Professor of psychology and Director of the weight and eating disorders program at the University of Pennsylvania) to objectively compare the two diets¹.  Even though people are able to lose weight by adhering to either diet, Dr. Wadden admitted that the low-fat diet is

 “just extremely hard for most people to adhere to. People have to be extremely vigilant if they’re going to adhere to a diet in which only about 10% of calories comes from fat…I think Ornish’s plan is unrealistic for most Americans trying to lose weight...”  

Dr. Wadden did express health concerns about a low carb diet, but he acknowledged that “I don’t think we have sufficient evidence at this point; I think we need long-term studies to show what happens when you’re consuming a low carb, high-fat diet for a long period of time.” 

What’s funny is that a month later, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (a highly reputable journal) found that people who ate a low carb diet lost more weight than people following a low-fat and calorie-restricted diet²!  Also, a study in 2004 found that “compared with a low-fat diet, a low-carbohydrate diet program had better participant retention and greater weight loss. During active weight loss, serum triglyceride levels decreased more and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level increased more with the low-carbohydrate diet than with the low-fat diet"³.  I could go on but I think you get the point.

            So instead of getting frustrated trying to count calories, stocking up on low-fat (but high sugar) meals, or trying any other type of dieting fad, just stick to reducing the amount of carbohydrates you eat, specifically refined sugars.  And if you don’t believe the research, try it yourself for 3 months and see how you feel!  I'd love to hear about your experiences with different diets so feel free to leave a comment.

With love,

Ashley Russell

Tempe Family Fun Run Coordinator

www.tempefamilyfunrun.com

Medical Student at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM)

N-ACT President

Naturopathic Advocacy and Community Awareness Team (N-ACT) is a student-run club at SCNM that creates the future leaders of naturopathic medicine. Naturopathic medicine helps individuals by treating the root cause of their illnesses using natural methods.  For example, we help patients make lifestyle changes and use naturopathic approaches to encourage healthy weight loss.

*Please be aware that I am not a licensed physician, and am therefore not yet qualified to give medical advice, treat or diagnose.*



1. Stephenson, Joan. “Low-Carb, Low-Fat Diet Gurus Face Off”. Journal of the American Medical Association (2003) Vol 289: 14, 1767–1769.
2. Samaha, FF, Igbal, N, Seshadri, P, Chicano, KL, Daily, DA, McGrory, J, Williams, T, Williams, M, Gracely, EJ, Stern, L.  “A Low-Carbohydrate as Compared with a Low-Fat Diet in Severe Obesity”.  New England Journal of Medicine (2003) Vol 348: 2074-81.
3. Yancy Jr, WS, Olsen, MK, Guyton, JR, Bakst, RP, Westman, EC.  “A Low-Carbohydrate, Ketogenic Diet versus a Low-Fat Diet To Treat
Obesity and Hyperlipidemia: A Randomized, Controlled Trial”.  Annals of Internal Medicine (2004) Vol 140: 769-777.

One Simple Change to a Healthier You!

Summer is coming in Arizona, that means heat and lots of it! It also means more incidences of dehydration. Even though there are more severe incidences of dehydration in the summer, did you know that studies have shown approximately 75% of the American population is chronically dehydrated. Well, thinking back, when was the last time you drank 8-8 oz glasses of water? This is the popular belief of the amount of water to drink per day, but even it is a little low according to the Institute of Medicine’s recommendation of 3 liters (~13 cups) for men and 2.2 liters (~9 cups) for women.

The human body is made up of 60% water. The following is a list of symptoms of dehydration and keep in mind that a person can start to see symptoms with even mild dehydration, which is a loss of 1-3% water in the body. Symptoms include, irritability, headache, fatigue or daytime sleepiness, body aches, constipation, wrinkled skin, that may sag slowly back into position when pinched into a fold, a dry, sticky mouth. I would be crabby too with symptoms like that! Just think how much more pleasant your work environment may be if your colleagues were properly hydrated! 

Most of us think of dehydration occurring through exercising, other activities or simply being in heat or humidity that makes you sweat. It is true, that if you are sweating, an additional 1.5-2.5 cups of water are recommended. The Mayo Clinic suggests drinking sports drinks during long bouts of intense exercise such as training for a marathon. This is due to loss of electrolytes through the sweat. The main electrolyte lost in the sweat is sodium, with an approximate 800 mg sodium lost in 2 pounds of sweat during an hour of intense workout (Ex: 1 hour running, training for a marathon).

What are electrolytes anyway and why are they important?  Electrolytes are ions that your cells use to communicate, especially nerves and muscles. They include sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Calcium and magnesium help muscles contract and relax. Sodium and potassium help water stay in the right balance in the body inside and outside the cells.

Here’s the best part! A great reason to increase your water intake may be if you are trying to loose weight. One study suggests that drinking water may promote weight loss for overweight women following weight loss diets. Increasing their water intake resulted in loss of body weight, change in waist circumference and change in percent body fat. The study also noted that the changes were not just a result of decreased caloric intake (ie diet soda) as these non-caloric beverages were not associated with comparable benefit and showed 30% smaller effect than plain water in weight loss.

Increased energy, clarity and productivity paired with weight loss with one simple component…water!!! So don’t forget to bring your water bottle and we will have plenty for you if you forget on May 12 at the Tempe Family Fun Run & Walk! Can't wait to see you there!!!

Terra Dallmann

Tempe Family Fun Run Coordinator

www.tempefamilyfunrun.com

Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine 

4th Year Medical Student

Want to make sure I got my facts straight? Here are my resources:

Sawka M, et al. Human water needs. Nutrition Reviews 2005;63:S30.

Valtzin H. "Drink at least eight glasses of water a day." Really? Is there scientific evidence for 8 x 8? American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 2002;283:R993.

Rose BD, et al. Maintenance and replacement fluid therapy in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 2, 2010.

Dietary reference intakes for water, potassium, sodium, chloride and sulfate. Institute of Medicine. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/DRI//DRI_Water/73-185.pdf. Accessed March 2, 2010.

Exercise and fluid replacement. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2007;39:377.

Campbell SM. Hydration needs throughout the lifespan. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007;26:5858.

Nutrition and athletic performance: Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2009;109:509.

Park S, et al. Pathophysiology and management of calcium stones. Urology Clinics of North America. 2007;34:323.

Manz F. Hydration and disease. Journal of the American College of Nutritionists. 2007;26(suppl):535S.

Stookey J, et al. Drinking water is associated with weight loss in overweight dieting women independent of diet and activity. Obesity 2008:16:11

Zeratsky KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 3, 2011.

Disclaimer:

The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions as I am not a licensed physician...yet!