Nutritional Tips

My New Year’s resolution is to take better care of myself. It just so happens that I am a member of the US Tennis Association and I read this great article in the January/February Tennis Magazine- “Food For Thought - 20 Things You Need to Know about NUTRITION”. I decided to paraphrase the article for the women in my online lupus support group but I realized that I am not reaching that many people so I decided to share these tips with you, too.

Having lupus is frustrating because so much seems to be outside ones control! However, our diet is something we can change to improve our health.  As Dr. Sasha Bernatsky mentioned in the article in the Prevention Magazine - exercising, eating well and maintaining a healthy weight are important ways for us to live healthier lives.

With the medications (especially steroids) many of us take and the disease, itself, we face greater challenges with weight control and avoiding osteoporosis.

Diet Affects Brain Function

Yes, while most of us are not like rats, we can learn something from experiments conducted on them. In this case, rodents fed a typical American diet developed inflammation of the hypothalamus.  This is the part of the brain which regulates hunger, thus causing them to become hungrier and gain weight. 

What is even more remarkable - the rodents’ brains developed changes typically associated with strokes and MS!

The Right Breakfast Fights Hunger All Day

I know we have all heard this one and I am one of those people who just does not feel like eating breakfast. But now that I understand the reason why I need to eat breakfast I am changing my ways.  

A study cited in the Journal of Obesity showed eating a higher protein breakfast (like non fat Greek yogurt, cottage cheese or egg whites) stimulates a lower appetite later in the day compared to people who ate no breakfast or milk and cereal. This was proven by doing brain scans on the part of the brain which controls appetite.  

And I did follow this advice and have been eating non-fat Greek yogurt and berries (from the freezer section of Trader Joes) for my breakfasts for the last 3 weeks. I don’t think I have lost weight but I do have more energy throughout the day.

Bacteria is good for your health

And speaking of having yogurt for breakfast, it contains the probiotics which is the healthy bacteria. Probiotics fight inflammation, boost immunity and lower body fat. 

A recent study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who took probiotics supplements (particularly lactobacillus gasseri) had a 4.6 % reduction in belly fat and 1.4% reduction in body weight after just 12 weeks. The people who did not receive the probiotics saw no reduction in body weight.

Yogurt contains good bacteria as long as the container says active culture on it.  However, it doesn’t contain as much bacteria as the probiotic supplements. If you are buying the supplements, remember to keep them in the fridge.

Vitamin D Supplements

 

Not getting enough Vitamin D? Lack of Vitamin D has been linked to autoimmune disorders, certain cancers, increased body fat and decreased muscle strength. And don't forget Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium which we need to ward off osteoporosis.

How much Vitamin D is enough? My distinguished rheumatologist told me to take 2000 international units a day. But be careful, it is possible to take too much which can cause kidney stones and heart rhythm problems along with other toxic effects. 

The Mayo Clinic suggests that taking more the 4000 units a day increases the risk of adverse affects. The literature also suggests that the toxicity levels can be lower for people with kidney or liver problems.

The advice for lupus sufferers to stay out of the sun is not just for those of us who have sun sensitivity and skin cancer. According to one of the researchers at the 2010 International Lupus Symposium, sunlight stimulates the immune system and can cause a lupus flare.

For those of us whose family and friends think they are getting enough Vitamin D from the sun, there is a study that disputes that. A study of Hawaiians showed those who spent 20 hours a week in the sun, including 10 hours without sunscreen, had low Vitamin D levels. And a study published in the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism found that nearly 60% of Americans had too little Vitamin D in their blood.

Vitamin D3 is what you need as it is the best absorbed; it is considered the most natural since D3 is what is created when sunlight hits your skin; and it's the most shelf stable too. D2 is more toxic and D is poorly absorbed. Some calcium supplements do not have D3 although this is becoming less and less prevalent. As always, check the label!

Calcium helps us to lose weight

If you have not been really diligent about taking enough calcium for your bones and teeth here is another reason to inspire you to stick to this mineral regime. According to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, they found that obese women taking 1200 mg of calcium lost 12 pounds versus 2 pounds in the control group (taking a placebo)  when following a low-calorie diet for 15 weeks.

The recommended dosage for women 19-50 is 1000 mg a day and 1200 for women over 50 according to the American National Institute of Health. Don’t take more than 500 mg at a time or it won’t be absorbed. My rheumatologist and family doctor have told me to take 500 mg of calcium with vitamin D three times a day with meals. The vitamin D taken with calcium helps absorb the calcium. Look for calcium citrate as it is better absorbed than other types of calcium.

Vitamin C Helps Burn Fat

Yes, we all know that vitamin C helps prevent colds. But did you know that vitamin C is essential for the production of carnitine which helps turn fat into a useable food source? A study done at the Arizona State University showed that men with low vitamin C levels burned 25% less fat during a treadmill test than those with adequate vitamin C levels. The vitamin C affect also applies to burning fat when at rest.  Hence, make sure to eat those citrus fruits, broccoli and peppers for their antioxidants and their effect on burning fat!

  

Why Dark Chocolate is a Super Food

This is fantastic news for "chocolate-holics" like me! Chocolate consumption has been linked to reduction in heart attacks, strokes, blood pressure, inflammation and bad cholesterol.

One study showed that women, who ate dark chocolate for a week, dropped their bad cholesterol (LDL) by 6 % and increased their good cholesterol by 9%. And a study of heart attack survivors, who ate dark chocolate twice a week for 2 years, cut their risk of dying of heart disease 3 fold.

Be sure to eat chocolate with 70% or more cocao to get the most antioxidants. As we know, chocolate is not diet food but we can say now with certainty that it qualifies as health food. The challenge, for those of us who are addicted to chocolate, is to limit ourselves to no more than 1 ounce a day.

Good luck and enjoy a yummy super food!

Spices Are a Secret Weapon

Herbs and spices such as oregano, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, cloves and garlic powder increased post-meal blood levels of antioxidants, lowered insulin levels and reduced unhealthy blood fats by 30% according to a Penn State University study. In other studies, these seasonings have been shown to rev up the metabolism and boost the sense of fullness.

What I think is incredible is that many herbs and spices are more potent sources of antioxidants than fruits and vegetables! So try to get an extra punch of cancer prevention by adding herbs and spices to each meal!

Food Can Fight Pain

Ginger, berries, and extra virgin olive oil possess anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger contains the same pharmacological properties as ibuprofen. A study of people with osteoarthritis of their knees that took ginger extract 2X per day experienced less pain and took fewer pain killers than the placebo group.

Sleep Matters a Lot

Lack of adequate sleep increases inflammation, increases the hunger hormones, increases the risk of depression, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. To maximize your sleep, establish a regular sleep schedule (including weekends.) Make sure you sleep in a dark, quiet room with the temperature between 54 and 75 degrees F.

Light is the most important external factor that can affect sleep according to the Harvard Medical website. Light makes it difficult to get to sleep and also disturbs our internal clock controlling sleep and wakeful periods. 

If your room is not pitch dark when you sleep how about trying using a sleep mask and see if this helps you get a better sleep. I have experimented with this and I have been sleeping better although my cheap mask does fall off sometimes.

I have to say that I sleep a lot and because I often feel tired in the morning I have existed without an alarm for the about a decade. However, I did decide to try the more regular sleep pattern and I have been going to bed at the same time (give or take an hour) for the last month or so. The alarm clock wakes me in the morning now. I figure if I am tired in the morning I can always go back to bed and have a nap in the afternoon. I force myself out of bed after I hit the snooze buttons a few times. The amazing part is that I don’t need those naps often.  

I am accomplishing so much more now and feeling good about it. I would have never thought in a million years that I could get up and go to Zumba classes at 9 o’clock on Saturday mornings.

Oh and by the way my rheumatologist was probably right about the sleep problems. I don’t have the pain I once had from fibromyalgia. Well, I do knock back the medication that helps me sleep but that it a whole other blog!