The TLC way to health and weight loss

What comes to mind when you hear the acronym TLC?  If you were thinking of the expression: tender, loving care, you're right.  I would also like to suggest the following additional meaning for the TLC acronym: True Lifestyle Change. I think both of the meanings of TLC are appropriate in this case because when it comes to our health we should treat ourselves with tender, loving care. When it comes to weight loss the only way to long term success is through true lifestyle change.

I wish I could say that true lifestyle change happens quickly and easily, but I can't. What I can share is what has worked for my husband and me. We've made lifestyle changes that resulted in our losing weight and reducing our percentage of body fat significantly. More importantly, we feel better! The surprise for us was that weight loss wasn't our intended goal when we began changing our eating habits. Yet, that has been one of the results of our TLC. So, if this has you a little intrigued, please read on.

It's import to note that the first part of this plan actually is a relatively well-known diet.  However, I  can't stress enough the importance of viewing this initial diet phase as the beginning of a larger commitment to establishing healthy exercise and eating habits for the long term. Perhaps, the very words habit, commitment and long term may feel a little intimidating at first.  After all, a diet implies doing something finite, maybe for several weeks. However, a lifestyle commitment is a permanent change, and this can seem overwhelming even to the most determined and well-intentioned of us. That being said, the only way to keep weight off permanently is to make permanent changes.



My oncologist and functional medicine physician, Carolyn Matthews, recommended that I do the Comprehensive Elimination Diet. Perhaps you've heard it called the Detox Diet, or the Anti-inflammation Diet. They are all similar. She explained that current research suggests that bolstering the immune system could be beneficial in fighting cancer.  According to the National Cancer Institute, "patrolling cells of the immune system provide continuous bodywide surveillance, catching and eliminating cells that undergo malignant transformation. Tumors develop when this immune surveillance breaks down or is overwhelmed."

So, what does the immune system have to do with the Elimination Diet? Experts are recognizing that sensitivities in some people can cause them to react poorly when they consume or are exposed to certain foods and chemicals. This is different from an allergy or an intolerance. The top 6 food sensitivities are: gluten, dairy, yeast, eggs, corn and soy.

A food or chemical sensitivity can cause the body's immune system to kick in. When the immune system is overstimulated, or is in a state of chronic response, a variety of adverse health conditions can occur (Linus Pauling Institute).  One or several of these conditions might be familiar to you: constipation, GERD, asthma, sinus problems, irritable bowel, psoriasis and eczema, just to name a few (Tom Malterre, MS, CN).  The Elimination Diet helps detect what foods might be irritating the body and causing an immune response, through a process of removing specific foods and food categories from the diet.

According to the information Dr. Matthews provided me:

"The main rationale behind the diet is that these modifications allow your body's detoxification machinery, which may be overburdened or compromised, to recover and begin to function efficiently again. The dietary changes help the body eliminate or 'clear' various toxins that may have accumulated due to environmental exposure, foods, beverages, drugs, alcohol, or cigarette smoking ...this process is generally well tolerated and extremely beneficial." 

I'm not going to sugar coat it.  The first 21 days are challenging. That's why I suggest that you might want to consider discussing this with your family, or enlist the help of someone who can be your buddy. It will definitely improve your chances of success. I couldn't have done it without my buddy. It's also recommended that the timing of when to start the diet be carefully considered, because dining out or traveling during the first 21 days can increase the difficulty.  

Another important point to mention is calorie consumption. Remember: for weight maintenance the formula is calories in = calories out. We haven't intentionally restricted our calories.  Still, my husband has lost 28 lbs and counting!  This is occurring because we are now eating more nutrient dense foods and feel fuller, so sometimes we consume less calories than we need for weight maintenance. Just the elimination of empty liquid calories will allow you to consume calories from more nutritious and filling foods. You can calculate your caloric intake needs at the Mayo Clinic's site here. Last, but not least, everyone is different so your response to this program will be unique to you. Remember, before beginning any new diet or exercise program you need to check with your physician.

I hope I haven't discouraged you by discussing the above details. I can assure you that if you stick with the first 21 days you will feel better. I know I do. After the three weeks of elimination are complete, you will be well on your way to a True Lifestyle Change that will lead you to permanent weight loss and improved health.  So, are you ready to begin? The link to the Comprehensive Elimination Diet my doctor gave me is here.  The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health also has a 6 page handout here, with very user-friendly tables of information.


Final thought: Don't you deserve a little TLC? I look forward to hearing your success stories!

Update to this post 9/12/10 - Once you've completed the initial elimination phase you will begin the process of adding foods back into your diet. This is where the TLC really kicks into gear.  If you're in need of further direction, check out the Eat More, Weigh Less post here that discusses a nutrition plan recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.  This plan is basically a continuation of what you have already begun in the Elimination Diet with the exception that you will begin adding grains, dairy etc. back in if you had eliminated them from the start.  It outlines the steps and strategies that will help guide you through the process of choosing foods that are less energy (calorie) dense, but more nutrient rich.This type of nutrition plan is a win/win.  Here's to improving our health through good nutrition! 

Sources
National Cancer Institute, Immunity and Cancer - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understandingcancer/immunesystem/Slide32
Zar, S., Food Hypersensitivity - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2036.2001.00951.x/full
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/307/5717/1920 \
Linus Pauling Institute - http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/ss07/inflammation.html
Malterre, Tom, MS, CN, The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook
Mayo Clinic calorie calculator - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598
http://www.holisticmd.org/downloads/CompleteEliminationDiet.pdf

Don't put a milk moustache on breast cancer

Milk is a healthy beverage right? We've been told to "drink your milk" since we were old enough to hold the sippy cup. A quick look at the GotMilk website here will show you that they are even touting milk as a way to help PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome). They go so far as to call milk, "The perfect comfort food." If you're of a certain age you may remember when milk was delivered by the milkman to the front door of your house and it actually was healthy.  However, things have changed a lot since then and not all milk is created equal.

It all started back in the early 1980's with research for a drug that would increase the production of milk in cows. Monsanto Company eventually received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for their drug Posilac. It's what is known as a genetically engineered hormone called recombinant bovine growth hormone, or rBGH. In 2008, Eli Lilly acquired the Posilac branch of Monsanto's business. Eli Lilly also manufactures breast cancer treatment drugs. So, what's the big deal? Well, the plot thickens.

There are potential health issues associated with the use of rBGH. To underscore this point, several countries including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, and the European Union recognize rBGH as a big enough health threat that they have banned it and any products containing it. Animal and food safety activists in the US have been voicing their concerns for years as well.  Thankfully, some grocery stores, dairies and companies that utlize milk in their products are no longer using rBGH milk. You can view a list here compiled by Food and Water Watch.org.

So, just what are these potential health issues? Well, one concern is that the hormone causes mastitis in the udders of cows. The mastitis then requires antibiotics - strong antibiotics.  In some cases, antibiotics are regularly used to prevent mastitis before it even occurs. The prolific use of antibiotics is thought to be one cause of the increasing numbers of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria we're seeing. That by itself is bad enough. However, the story doesn't end here. 

The presence of rBGH in the cow's blood stimulates production of another hormone that is normally present in cow's milk, called Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1).  A side effect of the use of rBGH is that it causes IGF-1 levels to rise significantly above normal. According to one study, rBGH caused the normal levels of  IGF-1 in cow's milk to increase by "sixfold", and recent information released by Eli Lilly to the European Community Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products admitted increases of ten times the normal IGF-1. 

Why is this a problem? When we drink milk containing normal levels of IGF-1, the hormone usually binds with proteins whose job is to keep the biological activity of IGF-1 in check. However, when levels of IGF-1 are significantly increased, as they are in rBGH cow's milk, it's thought that this leads to unbound IGF-1 circulating in the body.  It's a known fact that IGF-1 causes cells to divide and that unregulated cell division leads to cancer. The concern many experts have is that rBGH, and the resulting increased levels of unbound IGF-1 in our circulation, are contributing factors to the increases seen in a variety of cancers, including breast, colon, lung and prostate.

So, that's the connection. A drug company that offers breast cancer treatment drugs is also responsible for a drug that may cause breast cancer. I find this appalling! Like me, you might be wondering where the FDA is in this story. If you'd like, you can read an updated 2009 statement from them here, and get their side of the story. It's difficult for me to understand how other countries can see the wisdom in banning the use of this drug, but the US cannot. Having said that, the cynic in me can recall many similar situations where a big industry with deep pockets was able to fly under the radar for years.

If you're feeling moved to activism, Breast Cancer Action has composed a petition to Eli Lilly requesting that they stop making rBGH. You can link to it here. It really is an inexcusable conflict of interest when a company sells a drug that ultimately may contribute to breast cancer and also sells drugs for breast cancer treatments.

The good news is that there is a movement for labeling non rBGH cow's milk and other dairy products so that consumers can identify and choose products that don't use this growth hormone. The bigger picture is that this fight isn't just about dairy products. It's about all foods that are being genetically modified or altered. Don't you think we should have a right to know what we're eating? That healthy milk delivered by the milkman is still available today.  It's just our responsibility to make sure that we can choose for ourselves which milk we deem healthiest.


Sources
http://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/rBGH_Health.pdf
http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/general/milk.htm
http://www.gotmilk.com/#/benefits/pms/info/
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=5149628
http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ProductSafetyInformation/ucm130321.htm
http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/general/documents/consumer2_001.pdf
http://www.medical-hypotheses.com/article/S0306-9877%2805%2900354-3/abstract
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