Articles on or about weight loss and health issues.

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Surprising Causes of Weigh Gain

It's true that we gain weight when we eat more than we can burn off. But this conventional diet wisdom does not always hold true. Weight gain can also be caused by health conditions such as hypothyroidism, food sensitivity, Cushing's syndrome, organ disease, prescription drug use, anxiety, blood sugar imbalance and essential fatty acid deficiency.

Hypothyroidism

Thyroid hormone deficiency can decrease metabolism of food, causing appetite loss and modest weight gain. Weight gain is from fat accumulation and fluid retention caused by protein deposits in the body. Symptoms of hypothyroidism can include fatigue, lethargy, swelling of the face or around the eyes, dry, coarse skin, decreased sweating, poor memory, slow speech and hoarse voice, weakness, intolerance to cold and headache

Article by Cathy Wong

Food Sensitivity

Reactions to foods are not always immediate. They can occur many hours later as bloating and swelling in the hands, feet, ankles, abdomen, chin and around the eyes. Much of the weight gained is fluid retention caused by inflammation and the release of certain hormones. In addition, there is fermentation of foods, particularly carbohydrates, in the intestines which can result in a swollen distended belly and gas production.

Symptoms of food sensitivity can include headache, indigestion or heartburn, fatigue, depression, joint pain or arthritis, canker sores, chronic respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, sinus congestion or bronchitis and chronic bowel problems such as diarrhea or constipation.

Prescription Drugs

Hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives containing estrogen can cause fluid retention and increased appetite. Other drugs that can cause weight gain are steroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antidepressants and diabetic medications.

Cushing's Syndrome

Cushing's Syndrome is a disorder caused by an excess of the hormone cortisol. Fat accumulates in the face, abdomen and upper back, often producing a characteristic rounded "moon" face and "buffalo hump". The arms and legs usually remain slender.

Other symptoms of Cushing's Syndrome include muscle wasting and weakness, thin skin, poor wound healing, easy bruising, purple "stretch marks" on the abdomen, menstrual irregularities, high blood pressure, glucose intolerance and hair loss in women.

Kidney, Heart or Liver Disease

Disease in these organs can cause fluid retention, which appears as general puffiness all over the body, especially the eyes and ankles.

Emotional Eating

Many people respond to stress or depression by eating excessively. Sources of stress may not always be apparent, but may still affect eating habits and cause weight gain.

Blood Sugar Imbalance

Eating simple, refined carbohydrates can cause rapid fluctuations in blood sugar levels. For example, eating chocolate increases the amount of sugar in the blood. The hormone insulin is released which causes sugar to be stored away and blood sugar levels to be lowered, which can trigger cravings for more sweets in order to stabilize blood sugar balance.

Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency

Essential fatty acids, such as in flaxseed oil, are good fats that are needed by the body to make hormones and maintain the body's metabolic rate. A deficiency may cause cravings, particularly for fatty foods.

The first signs of deficiency are often dandruff, dry hair and dry, scaly skin. Deficiency is also associated with arthritis, eczema, heart disease, diabetes and premenstrual syndrome.

Conclusion

Weight gain can also be caused by organ enlargement, such as from an ovarian cyst, and obstruction of lymph fluid.

The above conditions must be diagnosed by a qualified health care practitioner, especially since serious disease may not always be accompanied by overt symptoms.

Cabbage soup

Cabbage Soup Diet: Research Shows Health Benefits of Cabbage
by Tanya Zilberter, PhD

It is a fad diet but does it mean it's unhealthy? Research Shows Health Benefits of Cabbage. Several clinical studies have found cabbage to be effective in warding off diseases, specifically, cancer

Research Shows Health Benefits of Cabbage.

Several clinical studies have found cabbage to be effective in warding off diseases, specifically, cancer:

In their article "Vegetables, Fruit and Phytoestrogens as Preventive Agents, " Drs. Potter and Steinmetz from Cancer Prevention Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, reviewed 205studies and, based on the evidence provided in these studies, included cruciferous vegetables (of which cabbage is a member) into the list of foods containing preventive phytoestrogens. They wrote:

"The practice of medicine-- past and present -- often involves the prescription of specific foods(almost always plants) or their potent derivatives, to treat a wide spectrum of illnesses. Foods that have been ascribed healing properties include the cruciferae (cabbage), the allium family, celery, cucumber, endive, parsley ,radish and legumes."(1)

Scientists from the Cancer Research Laboratory, University of Auckland, New Zealand, investigated the role of micronutrients in healthy nutrition and concluded that some micronutrients that seemed to play a protective role in cancer are beta-carotene, vitamin E and vitamin C. In addition to those chemicals with an established role in nutrition, there is also a less well-defined group of chemicals, often referred to as phytochemicals, which may prove even more important. Examples here are a group of sulphur-containing chemicals present in brassicaceous vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage, that appear to be very effective anticarcinogens.(2)

In the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, New York University, researchers aimed to identify specific phytochemicals in Brassica vegetables, such as sulforaphane in broccoli that may confer protection against cancer.(3)

In China (Department of Epidemiology, Harbin Medical College, Heilongjiang), consumption of cabbage was found to protect against brain tumor development. Consumption of fresh vegetables-- specifically that of Chinese cabbage and onion -- fruit, fresh fish and poultry was inversely related to the risk of developing brain cancer. (4)

One of the most impressive results came from the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, Nutrition and Food Research Institute. The results of 94 studies showed that with an increase in the consumption of cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, the risk of many types of cancer decreased.(5)

Not Just Cancer

Studies conducted by the Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo Noko University, concluded that cabbage is also good for keeping cholesterol levels low. Cabbage was found to contain S-methyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide, which suppresses hypercholesterolemia by upregulating cholesterol catabolism. (6)

Russian Cabbage Soup Recipe

Wrestling with the low carb diet

Why does it work?

The theory behind carbohydrate-restricted diets is that the sugars in high carbohydrate foods prompt the body to elevate insulin levels unnecessarily. The result is the creation and storing of unneeded fat. High carbohydrate foods typically include pasta, breads, fruits, sugars, and even a few vegetables, like carrots.

By reducing daily carbohydrate intake to what most dieticians consider unusually low amounts, insulin levels remain fairly steady, and fat is not created or stored. Conversely, the body must burn fat reserves for energy.

Depending on which low-carb diet guru you ask, when daily carbohydrate intake is limited to somewhere between 10-60 grams, this fat-burning effect occurs. Marcus hovers towards the high end of that scale, and occasionally exceeds it.

"If I'm facing a particularly tough opponent in the ring that night, I might go a little 'over' because I know I'll burn it up. And I am a good ol' Southern boy, so you have to figure on the occasional beer. But those are the exceptions, not the rule."

"Listening to what he eats, I'd have to say that what he may have is a calorie intake that is very much attuned to his needs," says Dr. David A. Levitsky, professor of nutrition at Cornell University. "Lean meats, lots of vegetables and water - and excluding large amounts of pasta and breads - makes me suspect he may be on a low-calorie, low-fat diet sort of disguised as low-carbohydrate. He's definitely at the highest end of what many would consider a low-carbohydrate diet."

"That's why I consider it an individualized program," says Marcus. "It's the amount of carbohydrates that work for me. And it's coupled with a low-fat content as well. So maybe it is the best of both worlds. But when I counted calories, it just didn't get the job done."

Two years into the eating regimen - which Marcus emphasizes is a diet plan rather than a diet - he's five pounds lighter than before, but with some noticeable changes. "I look a lot different, "says Marcus. "My body fat is way down, I can see my abdominal muscles, and I have significantly more strength and muscular mass."

Is it healthy?

Despite Marcus' success with a low-carbohydrate diet - and the loose pants syndrome enjoyed by untold others following the plan - most dieticians vigorously oppose the idea. The traditional food pyramid is rich with the very grains and fruits low-carbohydrate diets seek to restrict.

"It runs counter to many long-held beliefs about healthy eating," says Levitsky, "and I don't recommend it. But in fairness, the low-carbohydrate diet has found a lot of popularity because of its quick and noticeable effects within the first few weeks, which are apparent both visually and on the scale."

These rapid initial results are due to the depletion of the body's glycogen stores. Since sugars are vastly reduced in a low-carbohydrate diet, the body breaks down stored fat to release glycogen into the system. The liver in turn converts the glycogen into glucose, the sugar it burns for energy.

"Glycogen is heavy because it includes a large number of water molecules," says Levitsky. "When the liver converts the glycogen to glucose, this water is excreted from the body. It makes you look leaner fast, but it's basically a water loss."

The popular wrestler and the internationally recognized nutrition expert do not exactly see eye-to-eye on low-carbohydrate regimens, but both recognize there are individual differences that must be addressed in any successful longterm nutritional plan. And in between their collective observations, a solid middle ground seems to be emerging.

Controversial issues

High cholesterol - High intakes of animal and saturated fats can lead to unhealthy cholesterol profiles. High cholesterol is linked to heart disease. Since most low carbohydrate dieters find most of their calories in meat-source protein and fat, this has been a longstanding concern.

"You don't have to eat the fat," says Marcus. "Trim it away and stay with lean meats, like turkey, chicken, and fish." When fish and lean animal meats are the primary protein source, HDL "bad" cholesterol often goes down.

About half of the daily protein intake for Marcus comes from low cholesterol powdered whey protein, blended into a shake. "You could substitute or add a soy protein powder if you were a vegetarian, or if you were convinced that soy should be part of your diet," he adds.

For reasons not entirely understood, low carbohydrate dieters often see the benefit of
a drop in triglyceride levels, the blood fats created by the combination of fatty acids and glycerol, a natural oily alcohol in our systems. Lower triglycerides decrease the risk of arteriosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke.

Because of his emphasis on fish and lean meat, Marcus has found he actually needs to add some fats to his diet for fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K as well as essential fatty acids. He uses both flaxseed and cold water ocean fish oils, high in unsaturated Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been demonstrated to reduce the accumulation of arterial plaque.

Elevated blood pressure - "Eating a high-fat, high-calorie diet often does raise blood pressure," says Levitsky. "And adding salt to high fat meat is going to make it even worse. But Marcus may have struck a nice compromise by staying away from high fat meat and reducing his salt intake."

Marcus reports that his blood pressure "is actually a little bit lower than it was before, and just absolutely normal."

Excess uric acid - In some people, uric acid levels may be increased by eating liver and kidney meats, as well as fish and fowl. Gout and kidney stones can be exacerbated by high levels of uric acid.

Adequate amounts of water may assist in flushing uric acid from the kidneys. "For people with normal kidney and liver function who are not predisposed to gout, this shouldn't be a problem, " says Levitsky.

Osteoporosis - Excess protein over a long period of time can produce lower calcium levels, but most experts see this argument against low-carb diets as a weak one. Calcium supplementation easily keeps levels where they need to be for good bone health.

Nutrient loss - The wide array of phytonutirents found in fresh grain, fruits, and vegetables is frequently absent from the low-carbohydrate diet. Bagwell's modified approach includes three helpings of whole grains - oatmeal, grits, and toast for breakfast - plus additional supplementation with grain-derived vitamin E and a tocotrienol complex. Tocotrienols have been shown to inhibit the initial formation of certain cancers. Other antioxidants found in some fresh fruits can also be taken
in capsule form.

To get the cancer-fighting phytonutrients usually found in salads - which can be bland without dressings laden with sugars or fats - Marcus goes for a salsa recipe he learned from his friend Joe Wells, the former Oakland Raiders linebacker, now an engineered-food entrepeneur.

"It's hard to think of Oakland Raiders and salad at the same time," says Marcus. "But
Joe just takes a bunch of onions, tomatoes, celery, and cilantro and chops it up with some chiles. Except for the lettuce - which is basically just water - it's pretty much a salad. I eat it by the spoonful."

Ketosis - When stored fat is burned instead of dietary glucose, fatty acids are released into the blood stream which break down into ketones. When too many ketones accumulate in the system, a condition called ketosis develops which can lead to kidney damage that can ultimately be fatal. Carefully maintained fluid intake during the low-carb regimen flushes excess ketones from the body, avoiding any potential problems.

"If your family doctor doesn't find any evidence of kidney or liver dysfunction, and everything else is in good working order, then I don't see an inherent danger," says Levitsky. "But again, you need to ensure that the kidneys have a lot of water to keep waste materials moving out."

"This is the one area I have had difficulties with," laughs Bagwell. "When I have to drive to a match a couple of hundred miles away or fly somewhere and get a seat by the window, taking in a gallon of water a day can be a real big problem."

Electrolyte imbalance - Because the system must be flushed with fluids, mineral imbalances or shortages can occur because these vital substances are being washed away with the waste products. Numerous low-cost mineral supplements are readily available which can keep the electrolytes optimally functional.

Boredom - The chief barrier to longstanding success with a low carbohydrate diet may be loss of interest. "For most people, it is a monotonous diet," says Levitsky. "Because it's usually meat proteins, you do get a full and satisfied feeling. But longterm, it's boring, and when people 'cheat' on this diet they immediately replenish stored glycogen and they tend to put the weight back on quickly."

"It can get monotonous," admits Marcus. "I face pretty much the same foods day in and day out. But for me a modified low-carbohydrate diet is all about balancing the needs for nutrients in a 240-pound very active athlete. In the end, I simply came to realize that eating what looked appealing was not a plan, but a reaction. I've got more than enough excitement in the ring, so I don't need to look for it on my plate."

For more information:
Dr. Levitsky's extended cautionary evaluation of low carbohydrate diets via Cornell University: http://www.cce.cornell.edu/food/expfiles/topics/levitskyoverview.html