The November Cranky Yankee Newsletter
Coming soon: Look for a new section on the Cranky Yankee website--the ultimate cookbook collection. There are 48 recipe books in the collection. You can get them all for one low price, or just pick up the ones you want.
The "New" Weapon in the Fight Against Obesity
By Al Sears, MD
For decades, the real cause of obesity has escaped mainstream medicine. They tell you that the only way to lose weight is to cut your calories by eating low-fat food. Yet, despite eating less fat, more Americans are fat today than at any time in history.
As you've read many times in ETR, it's insulin that regulates weight gain and fat storage - not the saturated fats the media love to hate. And low-fat foods - which are usually high in carbs - will spike your blood sugar and trigger a flood of insulin. Excess insulin means excess fat.
But there's another hormone critical to weight gain - and weight loss. It's called leptin.
It tells your brain how much energy you have and how to use it. When your belly is full, leptin tells your brain to stop eating and start burning fat. When your energy is low, leptin tells your brain to increase your appetite so you'll start eating.
When it comes to obesity and diabetes, the role of leptin and insulin is nothing new. I've been telling my patients about it for years. But here's the problem: Leptin's message to your brain can be cut off by certain foods - like the high-fructose corn syrup found in sodas. And insulin can lose its effectiveness when too much is let loose in your bloodstream. When that happens, it leads to compulsive overeating and uncontrollable weight gain.
To help your body become more receptive to these hormonal messages, reduce your intake of carbs, eat foods low on the glycemic index, and supplement with cod liver oil.
Triglycerides:From the HSI eAlert.
Millions of people have high cholesterol, but only a small fraction of them understand why triglycerides are a dangerous part of the cholesterol picture, according to a new survey of doctors and patients.
And guess who the doctors blame for their patients' unawareness about triglycerides? Here's a hint: They don't blame doctors.
Lipids are fats, and they're essential for life. Your cell membranes would be lost without lipids. But when levels of triglycerides (a type of lipid) are elevated, you've got trouble. When triglycerides bind to carrier proteins, lipoproteins are created and may leave fat deposits in coronary arteries. Several studies have shown that high triglyceride levels sharply increase heart disease risk, even when no other risk factors exist.
So with all the hype about cholesterol, why aren't more people familiar with triglycerides? Simple: There's no drug that effectively lowers triglycerides, so consumers haven't been bombarded with nearly two decades of advertisements that would have seared the word "triglycerides" into their brains. Cholesterol? Got it - we all know what that is. Triglycerides? Not so much.
According to the results of a survey conducted this past summer by the National Lipid Association (NLA), only five percent of patients who use cholesterol-lowering statin drugs said they were aware of the guidelines for normal triglyceride levels. What's more amazing is that nearly one in five doctors admitted they didn't know what those guidelines were either.
More than 2,000 patients and 510 doctors were surveyed.
What I found most annoying about the doctors' responses was the general attitude about their patients' triglyceride knowledge. According to an Ivanhoe Newswire report, more than 90 percent of the doctors said, "patients need to learn more about lipid management." And one doctor told Ivanhoe, "Unfortunately, patients don't get the message."
Well, let's see. Where could they learn more? Who could give them the message? You've got a patient and a doctor in an examining room. They're talking about heart health. Gosh...if only there were someone with a medical education present who could share triglyceride information - THAT might solve the problem!
Don't get me wrong; I'm all for patients becoming active participants in their own health care and health knowledge. But those nine out of ten doctors who believe their patients don't know enough about triglycerides only need to do two things: 1) Schedule a blood test, and 2) Discuss the test results that pertain to triglyceride levels with their patients.
There. Now wasn't that easy?
Recipe of the Month: Easy Turkey Fajitas--save this one for your Thanksgiving leftovers.
Tools: 12-inch skillet with cover, wooden spoon, measuring cups and spoons, oven or microwave, sharp knife.
Ingredients:
6 flour tortillas
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 medium green pepper, cut in strips or rings
1 medium red pepper, cut in rings or strips
1 medium onion, cut in rings
1 to 1 1/4 pounds cooked turkey, sliced in strips about 1/4 inch wide
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning or 1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
Directions:
Slice, chop, or shred all the ingredients that require it,
Warm the tortillas in the oven or microwave. Do not overheat.
In the skillet, over medium heat, saute the peppers and onion in the oil for 2 minutes. Add the turkey and seasoning, stirring until everything is well mixed. Cover and heat thoroughly for about 5 minutes.
Fill each tortilla with the meat mixture, top with lettuce and tomato, and roll it up for easy eating. Or set out the ingredients and let each person assemble their own.
Makes 6 servings @ approx. 253 calories each
Bonus for reading this far: Christmas Cookbook
Feedback is welcome at: newsletter mail
Got a friend who could use this kind of information--go ahead and forward it.
Are you reading a friend's copy? Get your own subscription.
Thanks for subscribing,
Cranky Yankee and Mrs. Cranky
P.S. Blogs available at:
http://crankyyankeesbiz.blogspot.com
http://mrscrankysblog.blogspot.com
http://crankyside.blogspot.com
http://proofreaderscorner.blogspot.com
http://crankyyankeemarketing.blogspot.com
All are RSS Feed enabled with "Add to MY Yahoo" buttons
The "New" Weapon in the Fight Against Obesity
By Al Sears, MD
For decades, the real cause of obesity has escaped mainstream medicine. They tell you that the only way to lose weight is to cut your calories by eating low-fat food. Yet, despite eating less fat, more Americans are fat today than at any time in history.
As you've read many times in ETR, it's insulin that regulates weight gain and fat storage - not the saturated fats the media love to hate. And low-fat foods - which are usually high in carbs - will spike your blood sugar and trigger a flood of insulin. Excess insulin means excess fat.
But there's another hormone critical to weight gain - and weight loss. It's called leptin.
It tells your brain how much energy you have and how to use it. When your belly is full, leptin tells your brain to stop eating and start burning fat. When your energy is low, leptin tells your brain to increase your appetite so you'll start eating.
When it comes to obesity and diabetes, the role of leptin and insulin is nothing new. I've been telling my patients about it for years. But here's the problem: Leptin's message to your brain can be cut off by certain foods - like the high-fructose corn syrup found in sodas. And insulin can lose its effectiveness when too much is let loose in your bloodstream. When that happens, it leads to compulsive overeating and uncontrollable weight gain.
To help your body become more receptive to these hormonal messages, reduce your intake of carbs, eat foods low on the glycemic index, and supplement with cod liver oil.
Triglycerides:From the HSI eAlert.
Millions of people have high cholesterol, but only a small fraction of them understand why triglycerides are a dangerous part of the cholesterol picture, according to a new survey of doctors and patients.
And guess who the doctors blame for their patients' unawareness about triglycerides? Here's a hint: They don't blame doctors.
Lipids are fats, and they're essential for life. Your cell membranes would be lost without lipids. But when levels of triglycerides (a type of lipid) are elevated, you've got trouble. When triglycerides bind to carrier proteins, lipoproteins are created and may leave fat deposits in coronary arteries. Several studies have shown that high triglyceride levels sharply increase heart disease risk, even when no other risk factors exist.
So with all the hype about cholesterol, why aren't more people familiar with triglycerides? Simple: There's no drug that effectively lowers triglycerides, so consumers haven't been bombarded with nearly two decades of advertisements that would have seared the word "triglycerides" into their brains. Cholesterol? Got it - we all know what that is. Triglycerides? Not so much.
According to the results of a survey conducted this past summer by the National Lipid Association (NLA), only five percent of patients who use cholesterol-lowering statin drugs said they were aware of the guidelines for normal triglyceride levels. What's more amazing is that nearly one in five doctors admitted they didn't know what those guidelines were either.
More than 2,000 patients and 510 doctors were surveyed.
What I found most annoying about the doctors' responses was the general attitude about their patients' triglyceride knowledge. According to an Ivanhoe Newswire report, more than 90 percent of the doctors said, "patients need to learn more about lipid management." And one doctor told Ivanhoe, "Unfortunately, patients don't get the message."
Well, let's see. Where could they learn more? Who could give them the message? You've got a patient and a doctor in an examining room. They're talking about heart health. Gosh...if only there were someone with a medical education present who could share triglyceride information - THAT might solve the problem!
Don't get me wrong; I'm all for patients becoming active participants in their own health care and health knowledge. But those nine out of ten doctors who believe their patients don't know enough about triglycerides only need to do two things: 1) Schedule a blood test, and 2) Discuss the test results that pertain to triglyceride levels with their patients.
There. Now wasn't that easy?
Recipe of the Month: Easy Turkey Fajitas--save this one for your Thanksgiving leftovers.
Tools: 12-inch skillet with cover, wooden spoon, measuring cups and spoons, oven or microwave, sharp knife.
Ingredients:
6 flour tortillas
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 medium green pepper, cut in strips or rings
1 medium red pepper, cut in rings or strips
1 medium onion, cut in rings
1 to 1 1/4 pounds cooked turkey, sliced in strips about 1/4 inch wide
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning or 1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
Directions:
Slice, chop, or shred all the ingredients that require it,
Warm the tortillas in the oven or microwave. Do not overheat.
In the skillet, over medium heat, saute the peppers and onion in the oil for 2 minutes. Add the turkey and seasoning, stirring until everything is well mixed. Cover and heat thoroughly for about 5 minutes.
Fill each tortilla with the meat mixture, top with lettuce and tomato, and roll it up for easy eating. Or set out the ingredients and let each person assemble their own.
Makes 6 servings @ approx. 253 calories each
Bonus for reading this far: Christmas Cookbook
Feedback is welcome at: newsletter mail
Got a friend who could use this kind of information--go ahead and forward it.
Are you reading a friend's copy? Get your own subscription.
Thanks for subscribing,
Cranky Yankee and Mrs. Cranky
P.S. Blogs available at:
http://crankyyankeesbiz.blogspot.com
http://mrscrankysblog.blogspot.com
http://crankyside.blogspot.com
http://proofreaderscorner.blogspot.com
http://crankyyankeemarketing.blogspot.com
All are RSS Feed enabled with "Add to MY Yahoo" buttons
posted by Mrs.Cranky Yankee @ 12:01 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home