Is Juicing Healthy and Good for You?

I must hear this question at least 3 times a week and tonight Cousin Cam from Canada emailed me asking “is juicing healthy?” so I thought it time for a blog.

Simply put – NO!

Whole fruits and vegetables are healthy – they provide fiber, vitamins, minerals and nutrients called phytochemicals, which cannot be duplicated in a pill.

When you extract out the juices from the solid parts of the plant all you get is juice.  Although juice does contain vitamins it is total carbohydrate without the fiber to even out the blood sugar. 

Ounce per ounce most juice contains the same amount of carbohydrates as soda.

A few weeks ago a client decided to go on a “juice cleanse.”  She came clean and told me at her appointment.  She and I added up the carbs per day of the 8 glasses of juice she was consuming, which was composed of mostly of vegetables, and some fruit mixed in for sweetness. 

The total amount of carbohydrates was 250 grams per day.  To put that in perspective there are 15 grams of carbs in a slice of bread so she was drinking 16 pieces worth of bread without any protein or fat to stabilize out her blood sugars.

This increase in blood sugar can have a negative internal effect causing high insulin levels, which can cascade into just headaches, or more importantly inflammation. Inflammation can trigger higher blood sugars for diabetics, and symptoms of arthritis or other autoimmune issues triggered by high insulin levels.

I would not put that in the “health” category by any stretch.  My client told me it was quite expensive for those 8 glasses of juice, as are the “juicers” you buy from many companies.

I am not opposed to smoothies made in the Vitamix or Blendtec that combine protein, fat and carbohydrates, which can include veggies or fruits.  The advantage of these two high-powered blenders is that you can put the whole fruit or vegetable in the mix, which is then pulverized in its entirety so you are receiving the fiber and juice component.

Many people go on a juice cleanse thinking they will lose weight, which in theory sounds reasonable.  What really happens is that weight may initially drop due to less caloric intake.  However, true weight will not be lost, and it can quickly rebound into increased weight due to the nutrient imbalance and lowered metabolism.

Juicing or doing a “detox” cleanse without considering all the possible side effects may in fact be detrimental to your health.

Take home message:  eat your fruits and vegetables and if you want to drink them in moderation, make the investment in one of the above blenders.  You will be much more satisfied and your body will thank you!

Fat in your Liver?

Ever hear of NAFLD – nonalcoholic fatty liver disease?  It is actually the most common chronic liver disease in America and coincidentally has almost nothing to do with fat.

Many days my clients will bring me in a copy of their blood work and say “my doctor says I have fatty liver” and in the next sentence will ask me “do I need to cut out all fat in my diet?”

I normally answer no and then go on to answer the more complicated part of what fatty liver is and how to treat it.

The liver plays a vital role in many processes in the body, including regulating the body’s blood sugar. 

In fact there is a strong link between NAFLD and type 2 or adult onset diabetes.

“80% of people with diabetes have fat in the liver” states Kenneth Cusi, MD, an endocrinologist at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Fatty liver is hard to diagnose except via biopsy, MRI or ultrasound but if you have a high cholesterol and triglyceride level on your lab work there is a good chance you have it.

If you are consuming more carbs than your body can process, they can get shuttled to the liver and stored there.  If the liver becomes saturated with carbs/sugars that’s where the connection comes with elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The best way to reverse fatty liver?

• Reduce carbohydrates

Dr. Cusi states, “reduce carbohydrates and that reduces fat in your liver very quickly.”  The best way to reduce carbohydrates is cutting down on the filler ones – bread, pasta, rice, cereals, etc.  Eat your carbohydrates in the form of veggies/fruit, nuts/seeds, low-fat dairy and unprocessed non man-made carbohydrates such as yams, squash, quinoa and brown rice. 

• Lose weight with these 3 Additives

Rather than taking something away why not add a few things?  Increase your protein to increase your metabolic rate, do something active 30 minutes per day and slowly work on increasing your sleep time to at least 7 hours.

NAFLD does not have to be in your present or future and is very controllable with the above lifestyle changes.  Your liver is one of the most important organs in your body and taking good care of it can save you from diabetes, heart disease and even save your life.

What you Ate today may affect your DNA

Really?  Do we really have the power to control our genes?  It may be hard to believe but research is now showing that lifestyle changes can change our DNA is less than 2 weeks.

One of my college alumni departments sends quarterly newsletters, which I briefly peruse and toss but this one article stopped me dead in my tracks and I could not put it down.  Here’s what I read, with my two cents of course added in of course.

Berkeley Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology professor Andreas Stahl shares 5 key lessons he teaches on recent developments for the causes and treatment options of metabolic disorders.  Here they are:

• The body senses nutrients:  they body senses which nutrients you need and if they are not present it will try to compensate.  If you are craving a certain food (and sorry – not sugar or processed foods) like oranges you may need more Vitamin C in your body.  Many times pregnant women will crave meat during pregnancy due to increased iron needs.   If your body is telling you it needs a certain food pay attention!
• Nutrient sensing gone wrong can cause disease:  this can be the key to those who develop diabetes.  Those with insulin resistance can continually crave and consume carbohydrates.  Increased carb intake over time can lead to increased blood sugar, setting the stage for type two or adult onset diabetes.
• There are different kinds of diabetes – inherited and acquired:  too much food interferes with the body’s normal response to insulin.   This “over nutrition” can predispose one to adult onset or type 2 diabetes. 
• The brain regulates your urges to eat and expend energy: can you believe your brain receives signals from different organs telling it whether your stomach is full, if the food you are digesting is tasty, how full your fat stores are, etc.  The brain processes all these signals and generates feelings of hungry versus fullness.
• Your cells remember:  changes in diet can affect the susceptibility of disease for future generations.  A mother’s diet during gestation can impact the development of disease and weight issues in her children. 

   Take home message:  our bodies are pretty intricate.  What we eat will influence our cells even on a DNA level – and not only us but future generations as well.  If you are craving a certain healthy food your body needs it. 

  Every decision you make to eat in a healthful manner and move your body is way more important than you think so maintain that healthy lifestyle through the holidays – your grandchildren and their grandkids will thank you someday! 

Time for Health?

I read a statistic in a study last week that astounded me:

People spend about 74 minutes/day browsing the internet and 81 minutes per day using “apps” or smart phone applications.

So how is it that we have time to devote 155 minutes per day or about 2.5 hours for technology but not for our health?

I hear multiple times per day “I know I should exercise but don’t really have the time.”

Studies show just 30 minutes per day can be the difference between a diabetes diagnosis or not, being on medication for high blood pressure and even life or death. 

One study showed men who walk 30 minutes 3-4 times per week had 50% less risk of morbidity and mortality.

If you can’t find the motivation or time to exercise consider speaking to a health care professional – your life could depend on it. 

Enough said for now – so stop reading this and take time for your health.  And you can probably find a find a way to incorporate technology with your exercise at the same time.

Don’t be afraid of the Vampire: Breaking Down your Blood Values

With Halloween around the corner, you've probably heard about the rage of vampires and The Twilight Saga:  Breaking Dawn coming out in November.

Let's take a break from the candy this Halloween and understand what this vampire elixir is all about for your health.

You may go to the doctor each year to get your blood work done since you care about your health.  However, do you really understand the results once they come back? 

Some physicians are great at explaining each value and some just say, “your numbers are good.” 

Taking control of your health means understanding the values, if they’ve changed and what they represent.

For example let’s say your normal levels for a certain blood value like your thyroid hormones are at the top of the range and now they are at the bottom, which is not normal for your body.  Unless you keep abreast of this your health could be deteriorating without your knowledge.

Let’s start with a common labatoary value called your blood glucose. 

Blood glucose is related to how well your body is metabolizing food, specifically carbohydrates.  Since our diets are rather high in processed, starchy foods this is one I pay close attention to.

“Normal” values are between 70-110 depending on the lab.  However, having a fasting (without food) glucose value of 110 is not normal. 

Healthy fasting glucose values are considered below 90. 

I’ve had many a client come in with several years of blood work only to see their blood glucose values gradually rising over those years without their knowledge, since they were in “normal” range.

If your glucose levels are above 95 consider checking a value called your glycosylated hemoglobin A1C which measures what your blood glucose has been averaging over the previous 3 months.  The normal value is 4-6.  If your level is over 6 you are at a risk for impending diabetes and if it is over 6.4 you are considered diabetic.

Another important value now is Vitamin D. 

“Normal” values are between 30-100 but health experts consider optimal values above 50 since Vitamin d functions as a hormone and affects hundreds of metabolic pathways in the body.

Since it is almost impossible to get enough vitamin D in our food and most of us avoid the sun, this important nutrient is low in much of our population and needs to be supplemented.  If your values are 30-35 it is in “normal” range but having a higher value could help significantly help with your immune system, metabolizing fat due to lowering of insulin resistance, lowering cancer risk and optimal bone health.

Take home message?

1. Get a copy of your yearly blood work and have your doctor go over each value with you and compare to previous years 

1. If your physician is not available to go over the values with you, consider switching to someone who can or have an appointment with an RD or other trained health-care professional who understands these values and can help you make appropriate lifestyle changes

This Halloween get your numbers checked and be informed about their values.

Don’t be afraid to face the vampire at your doctor’s office - it could be good health for you and your blood.