My blogger name is hormonewoman; I chose that for a reason. When hormones get out of balance, and out of balance is where they are when we don't take care of ourselves, that's when chronic diseases like PCOS become common…not to mention troublesome.
A relatively new hormone (well, it's been around as long as there have been humans but it's new as far as us scientists knowing it and understanding it) is adiponectin. This hormone helps to combat heart disease and diabetes. And it is apparently sensitive to the kinds of fats we choose to eat.
A population of mice was divided into four groups, each one receiving one of the four following fats: soybean oil, fish oil, coconut oil, or lard. Their biochemical response was measured after 2 days and 60 days on this diet. With every type of fat, except fish oil, adiponectin levels were reduced. Soybean oil and coconut oil produced the most significant reductions.
We're just not going to get around it, are we? Some kinds of fats just aren't health-friendly. Some food options, just need to be passed by.
Bueno AA, Oyama LM, de Oliveira C, Pisani LP, Ribeiro EB, Silveira VL, Oller do Nascimento CM. Effects of different fatty acids and dietary lipids on adiponectin gene expression in 3T3-L1 cells and C57BL/6J mice adipose tissue. Pflugers Arch. 2008 Jan;455(4):701-9. Epub 2007 Aug 24.
A study was recently released suggesting that dark chocolate can help to reduce cholesterol in diabetics! Whoo hoo! Here's the article summarizing some of the benefits of chocolate.
Note in the article, however, researchers are still weighing the evidence about whether or not the fat and sugar in chocolate the way we like to eat it outweighs some of these benefits.
You can't binge on it or replace other foods with it…chocolate should be a component of a healthy, balanced diet.
Here are my five favorite ways to include chocolate in ways that reduce the downsides.
1. Used in mole sauce. Mole sauce is a complex Mexican delicacy made from a combination of cocoa and other spices such as cinnamon. It's not something you'll find in your average Tex-Mex restaurant, but look for it in more upscale venues like our own local (James Beard nominated) Barrio Cafe, often with chicken or turkey.
2. In hot chocolate. Cocoa powder (undutched) in lowfat milk is always a great bedtime treat! I kind of like the Abuelita brand Mexican hot chocolate because it too has the cinnamon touch.
3. In chocolate milk. Remember, women who have one fat-containing source of dairy per day are more fertile than women who do not. Chocolate milk is a double whammy of goodness!
4. As cacao nibs, in your morning oatmeal. Cacao nibs are the dried cacao seed, from which chocolate is derived. You can buy them in stores like Whole Foods and they're a great way to flavor your breakfast.
5. As cacao nibs, in your afternoon trail mix. Frequent a store with bulk food bins and create your own concoction of cacao, healthy nuts, a little bit of dried fruit…and voila! You've got something to nibble on when the afternoon munchies hit.
Chocolate galore…and no candy bar in sight. Enjoy!
If you have PCOS, it's likely you've been told that your risk of diabetes is increased. And that means it's likely this news headline caught your eye.
Here is the reference to the article that the story was based on, if you want to track it down online or in your local library.
Dixon JB, O'Brien PE, Playfair J, Chapman L, Schachter LM, Skinner S, Proietto J, Bailey M, Anderson M. Adjustable gastric banding and conventional therapy for type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2008 Jan 23;299(3):316-23. Comment in: JAMA. 2008 Jan 23;299(3):341-3.
Wouldn't it be great if this claim were true? There are some important caveats to consider before getting in line at your nearest bariatric clinic.
1. The authors of the original study used the word"remission", not"cure", to describe what they observed. Even in cancer treatment, there is a 5 year waiting period a patient must pass before being told they are free and clear of the disease. Somewhere in the trip from the research lab to the news desk a huge leap in logic occurred. Of course,"cure" attracts more viewers--and advertising dollars--than"remission"--but just beware that just as reporters can change their own appearance to look better on camera, so can tweaking a few words increase the potential attractiveness of a story, even one with some originally valid scientific basis.
2. Diabetes can often take years to develop. If there was indeed a high incidence of remission, it is possible that it might take longer than 2 years for patients to start to have signs and symptoms of the disease again.
3. Patients who underwent surgery also lost weight. So who's to say which was the bigger influence? And it took two years for remission to develop. If surgery really was the only influence, not the dietary change or change in body composition, it would likely have occurred much more rapidly.
4. Having surgery is not a license to eat what you want. Especially with bariatric surgery. I participate in a discussion group with dietitians who specialize in bariatric surgery treatment and it is clear, this is a serious, drastic move, requiring serious commitment to change. It is absolutely not risk free.
Your choice is your choice. But just be absolutely sure, before you opt for this solution, that you get all of the facts. And that when you have the facts you understand what they are really saying, not hearing what you'd like them to mean.
Why is it that we have a need to wear on our sleeves how little we sleep, as if it's a badge of honor?
People who don't sleep are physically hurting themselves in ways that diet and exercise can't always repair.
The large and famous nurses' study showed that women working night shifts had a greater incidence of breast cancer than those working during the day.
Accumulating research is connecting poor sleep with weight gain, insulin resistance, and diabetes.
What is it about sleep that is so crucial?
Melatonin. It's our body's most powerful antioxidant. It literally acts like a scrubbing bubble when we sleep, scouring that inflammatory damage from a day's worth of living, thinking, and stressing, leaving the brain and nervous system clean and ready to go the next day.
When we cut ourselves short on sleep, we don't give melatonin a chance to do its job.
We age ourselves much more quickly than we do when sleep is something we prioritize.
First thing you need to do to change things, is change your attitude about sleep.
You are not a better person because you deprive yourself of it.
You can't make up for what you lost during the week, over the weekend. Once it's lost, it's lost.
You may not be able to overcome the damaging effects of too little sleep with better eating and more exercise. In fact, it may be harder to achieve this while sleep deprived, because you are more likely to accelerate aging even more with the caffeine and sugar you're using to get through the day.
Want to get your weight under control? Reduce your cancer risk? Improve your fertility?
A few weeks ago I was visiting my parents in Tucson. You could tell the holidays were coming, because the corner lots were all occupied by chili ristra vendors. These chilis, popular in the Southwest, are crafted into artistic wreaths and strands that hang on doors, gates, and walls, everywhere you look. Traditional wisdom says that a house with a ristra hanging out front is a happy household.
I thought this would make a fun food for a holiday greeting, and perhaps if we hung a ristra on this blog, we'd radiate electronic happiness and goodwill.
What is so great about chilis? Well…what isn't?
They are a great anti-inflammatory. Capsaicin, a compound in chilis, has been found to delay the onset of arthritis, and to be therapeutic for diabetic neuropathy. Both of these conditions are more likely to be issues in people prone to inflammatory disorders.
Chilis can reduce cholesterol and heart attack risk. They can reduce the risk of diabetes.
From a practical standpoint, chilis make food interesting. It's easy to eat healthfully if you like what you're eating!
Here is a recipe for Mexican Red Chile Sauce, a staple in New Mexico and excellent on pork…or leftover turkey.
Whether you like Mexican, Szechuan, Indian, or Thai food, don't forget the chilis.
I can tell by looking at this blog's visitation statistics that a very high percentage of its visitors are looking for help with an immediate problem that has"hit them where it hurts", so to speak. You may have acne. Or want a child. Or be looking for a successful weight loss plan.
The fact is, however, that sitting in my seat, it is equally important to offer insight and solutions for those problems as it is to educate about the big picture.
The fact is, 10% of women with PCOS will be diabetic by age 40.
The fact is, PCOS increases your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
And…since diabetes is increasingly being associated with Alzheimer's disease, the fact is, you may end up being at risk for that as well if you're on this blog looking for help with your acne.
Fortunately, you don't have to do one thing for your fertility, another for your acne, and another to prevent Alzheimer's. All the suggestions you see here work to help all organ systems function better.
And the fact is, there is a whole lot you can do to decrease your risk of having any of the problems mentioned above.
The fact is, you can't decrease your risk if you don't take action. That part of the solution is totally in your control.
In this particular study, the alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)concentrations in fat tissue were evaluated in 1819 people. (ALA is a type of omega-3 fatty acid found in flaxseed, flaxseed oil, soybeans, canola oil, and nuts, to name a few.)
Individuals with higher levels of ALA had a lower risk of heart attack.
The fact is…if you cook more often with canola oil, eat more nuts, put some edamame on your next salad, and/or add some ground flaxseed to your next bowl of oatmeal, you just might experience the same benefits as the people in this study.
If it can't hurt and it might help, there doesn't seem to be a reason not to try at least one of those things!
Campos H, Baylin A, Willett WC. Alpha-linolenic acid and risk of nonfatal acute myocardial infarction. Circulation. 2008 Jul 22;118(4):339-45. Epub 2008 Jul 7.
"Brain fog"--trouble with focus, memory, and concentration, is a common but little-discussed issue with PCOS. I believe that for many of you, it impairs your ability to follow through with changes you genuinely wish to make because you simply don't remember to do them.
This is more than just an annoying little problem. Women with PCOS are at high risk for developing diabetes, and people with diabetes are at high risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.
So while you may be more focused on how to feel better right now, look better soon, and become pregnant in the near future, I've got my eye on the big picture.
The good news is that the nutrition recommendations we make here are good for all of the problems you might have with PCOS--weight, skin, fertility, mood…and brain function. , Fish oil is one of the biggest tools you have. Eating a variety of foods, not forgetting the fruits and vegetables, and getting enough sleep, are all very important to do.
Yesterday I mentioned choline, a chemical that the brain uses to make acetylcholine, the memory neurotransmitter. If you've given up egg yolks because you are afraid of their cholesterol, take note: it's likely not the cholesterol in those yolks that are causing you trouble. And, you're throwing valuable choline down the drain that your brain wants and needs.
This coming week at The inCYSTem, I've put together a week's worth of menus incorporating foods high in choline, some seafood, and good omega 6 to omega 3 balance. A four week subscription to this new program is $15; if you'd like to participate and experience first hand what eating well can do for you…contact me at marika@google.com.
As always, quality time spent with Cysters and inCYSTers humbles and inspires. Marie Mariano, RD, LDN, CDE, just shared a poignant life story about PCOS, infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy, and purposeful living that I encourage anyone who can relate to those words, to take the time to listen to. Thanks, Marie, for your gr ace, strength, and dedication. Hugs and love to you!
Marie has been gracious enough to share her personal story to colleagues and women with PCOS, in an outreach that has supported many women with the same diagnosis. Having suffered with PCOS herself, Marie has made it her life’s mission to help women who are affected by this disease.
Marie Mariano has been a registered dietitian for 11 years. Youngstown State University in Youngstown, OH is her alma mater where she earned her B.S.A.S in Dietetics. Licensed in both OH and PA, she currently works as a clinical dietitian and outpatient nutrition counselor for Heritage Valley Health System in Beaver, PA. As a Certified Diabetes Educator, she specializes in Diabetes, Gestational Diabetes and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
In addition to her clinical work, Marie is the founder of Hannah's Heart Ministries, an organization dedicated to serving those grieving through infertility and pregnancy loss.
We'll be chatting with Marie about her personal story, as well as the work she does through Hannah's Heart. It is sure to be an inspiring hour of conversation!
This show will air on Monday, October 18, 2010, at noon Eastern, 11:00 am Central, 10:00 Mountain, and 9:00 Pacific times. It will also be available for listening in our archives after the live session, at the same link listed above.
We had a great chat with Dr. Gretchen this morning! We covered everything from how she does her work, what counseling can do for a woman with PCOS, to her love for her local farmer's market.
If you have ever thought about getting counseling to deal with the stress that your diagnosis has placed on your daily plate, please check in and listen to what Dr. Gretchen has to say!
Gretchen's practice is located in West Los Angeles. You can learn more about her at http://www.drhousemd.com/. She can be contacted directly at 310.625.6083, or gkubacky@yahoo.com.
I got started on a series recently about agave nectar, and then had to put it down to attend to other business projects. Today I wanted to focus on an aspect of agave nectar that may be one of its most important nutritional contributions.
A disclaimer must be included before I continue. This information is only going to be helpful if the agave is consumed in conjunction with the guidelines as described in my earlier post. If your diet is high in sugar, it is NOT a license to simply switch to a different sweetener and use ad libitum.
Agave contains compounds known as fructans, which researchers in Mexico recently reported may help prevent osteoporosis by increasing intestinal calcium absorption. These same researchers, based at the National Polytechnic Institute, Guanajuato, Mexico, have suggested that these same fructans"may be beneficial in diabetes, obesity, stimulating the immune system of the body, decreasing levels of disease-causing bacteria in the intestine, relieving constipation, and reducing the risk of colon cancer".
Fructans do their job by functioning as"prebiotics"--they provide nutrition for the healthy bacteria in the colon.
These bacteria have been reported to change the way fat is absorbed, leading some researchers to suggest that agave may have some weight loss-enhancing qualities (again, when used according to the guidelines for upper limit of intake. A calorie is a calorie, regardless of where it comes from).
Fructans are simply long, non-digestible chains of fructose. It explains why the fructose content of agave nectar is so high. However, it appears to be in a different chemical form than that of simple fructose. If you're familiar with the differences between simple sugar, complex carbohydrate, and fiber…fructans, the way fructose is packaged in agave, is a soluble fiber. It's not digested or absorbed, and because it stays in the large intestine, it promotes the growth of beneficial, disease-fighting bacteria.
If you are still skeptical, and I don't blame you, given the plethora of conflicting information on the Internet, I would recommend measuring your own triglycerides before using any agave nectar. Then re-check those levels 3 months later to see if there is a difference.
It is important on this blog that we get it right…so if you take the challenge and you DO experience elevated triglycerides, I'd love to hear from you. That is important information to share.
We've been doing some business with companies working with nopales (prickly pear cactus pads). I'd seen a lot of research suggesting that nopales are good for quite a few health issues, particularly blood glucose.
We started selling Ibitta's products a couple of months ago and I was amazed at where the orders were coming from — Memphis, Philadelphia, not simply Arizona and California like I'd expected! I finally called one customer to see why she'd ordered it. Apparently her mother had been bugging her to try it as it is a popular Mexican supplement for weight loss. When her mother finally gave her a bag, she felt it couldn't hurt to try it. She noticed that when she stirred a couple of spoonfuls of Pinalinaza into a glass of water and drank it before a meal, it helped her appetite. And over a couple of months she lost 20 pounds.
Another woman with PCOS, in military basic training, wrote:
I just wanted to give you an update. Although I knew that Nopales was used…in my Hispanic heritage, I didn't know that it would help me out with my sugar so much!! I ordered the products that you hosted on this site (Pinalinaz … a, etc…) and can't wait to start them! In the mean time, I am eating nopales I bought from the local store. For one week, I've eaten them in the morning every other day. I lost 3 pounds and during that week I was only able to walk for exercise as the week was too busy. I have kept track of my sugar and the nopales has regulated it so much so that now I am falling into a Hypoglycemic instead of Diabetic. I am determining how I can balance it, however this is an awesome break through for me. I was doing the military basic training for two months and only lost 5 lbs because of PCOS. Now that I incorporated nopales, the stubborn sugar is being removed!! I can't wait for shipment!! This is a big breakthrough for me, it is extremely hard for me to digest the sugar and the nopales are doing something right!!
Last Friday, I gave a presentation on PCOS at the local Indian Health Service Hospital here in Phoenix. One of my clients made a big batch of nopales salad for everyone to try. It was lunchtime about an hour and a half later, and several people noted that they weren't really very hungry.
There is research to support these testimonials. A 2007 study reported that 85 g nopales with a meal reduced the glycemic index of the meal. Way back in 1991, researchers reported that nopal had a glucose-lowering effect.
For the non-native eater, the prospect of de-stickering a cactus pad, not to mention what to do with the cactus once that's done, likely keeps many people from trying it. In Phoenix, we have a company, Oro Verde Products, that sells ready-to-prepare cactus pads as well as chopped nopales ready to add to your recipe. It's popular in salads, stews, and scrambled eggs. I've even heard of some people juicing it if they have a powerful blender. Check Oro Verde's website for information and recipes.
Ibitta's products are nice because they're powdered and mixed with flax. I've used them on my oatmeal, in smoothies, in vinaigrettes, and breadings. I even made a vanilla cheesecake with the hibiscus (Jamaica) flavored variety in the crust. They're very versatile and more user-friendly in the typical American kitchen.
These we do carry in the store, if you're interested in ordering.
If you live in Los Angeles, look for Nopatillas, a tortilla made with nopal. This would be super easy to include in breakfast burritos, lunch wraps, etc.
Wherever you are, however you eat it, be sure to try nopales. They could be a great way to help control your blood glucose.
Bacardi-Gascon M, Dueñas-Mena D, Jimenez-Cruz A. Lowering effect on postprandial glycemic response of nopales added to Mexican breakfasts. Diabetes Care.2007 May;30(5):1264-5. Epub 2007 Feb 26.
Frati AC, Gordillo BE, Altamirano P, Ariza CR, Cortés-Franco R, Chávez-Negrete A, Islas-Andrade S. Influence of nopal intake upon fasting glycemia in type II diabetics and healthy subjects. Arch Invest Med (Mex). 1991 Jan-Mar;22(1):51-6.
Ten percent of women with PCOS will be type II diabetic by the time they are 40. One of the primary risks of pregnancy with PCOS is the same problem, diabetes. It is very important to understand that choices you make regarding food, activity, stress, and sleep, affect whether or not this problem…becomes YOUR problem.
Fortunately, in many cases, it is not necessary to do anything different than we already recommend in this blog. One study looked at four different ways diet could be manipulated to encourage weight loss: (1)calorie restriction without any seafood included, (2) calorie restriction with lean fish included, (3) calorie restriction including fatty fish, and (4) calorie restriction including fish oil pills. It didn't matter if it was lean fish, fatty fish, or fish oil pills…the more fish oil consumed, the better the insulin function.
I'm not one of those nutritionists who focuses entirely on salmon when advising to eat fish. First of all, it's simply not eco-expectable that there are enough salmon on the planet to feed everyone who needs omega-3's. Secondly, it's a seasonal fish and it's expensive enough to price itself out of the food budgets of many people I work with. A few years ago I looked up the omega-3 contents of many kinds of seafood, and discovered that whether it was salmon, shrimp, clams, tilapia…or bass…if it lived in the water, it had omega-3's in its flesh and it was a proactive health choice.
Don't like"fishy" flavor? Try halibut or tilapia. Or look for one of the many flavored fish oil supplements available in your local health food store. There's a way for anyone who has the will, and if you're at risk for diabetes…there's NO way you want to miss out on this wonderful dietary opportunity.
Ramel A, Martinéz A, Kiely M, Morais G, Bandarra NM, Thorsdottir I. Beneficial effects of long-chain n-3 fatty acids included in an energy-restricted diet on insulin resistance in overweight and obese European young adults. Diabetologia. 2008 Jul;51(7):1261-8.
Last week I repurposed an old blog post about the many potential health benefits of eggplant, for my writing gig at Examiner.com. The editors liked it so much they decided to feature it on their health page. Here is the link if you missed it.
On reading it, our Dr. Susan Lundgren shared that she had an eggplant recipe, which I asked her to share. So she blogged about eggplant too! Here is the recipe and an opportunity for me to turn you on to her great writing style and wonderful blog.
I've told many a client they're sick and they've been playing catch up since before they were even born. Others feel the same way, too…this was recently published in USA Today:
By Liz Szabo, USA TODAY Keishawn Williams is already talking to her baby, although her child isn't due until November.
"What are you doing?" asks Williams, 22."Are you awake? Are you asleep? Why are you sitting on my bladder?"
Although Williams may not realize it, her body and baby are also conducting a separate, even more important conversation that may influence her child's health for the rest of its life. Although neither mother nor child is aware of this crucial dialogue, Williams' body already is telling her baby about what to expect from the world outside, says Mark Hanson, a professor at the University of Southampton in England.
And thanks to those biological signals, the choices that Williams makes today — by getting good prenatal care, eating nutrient-packed vegetables and avoiding alcohol, tobacco and caffeine — may help her baby long after birth, Hanson says. Research into the"developmental origins of adult disease" suggests that Williams' healthy living may help her child avoid problems such as cancer, heart disease, depression and diabetes not just in childhood, but 50 years from now.
Though adults still need to eat right and exercise, a growing number of studies now suggest the best time to fight the diseases of aging may be before babies are even born, says Peter Gluckman of the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
Williams' baby is still too young to kick, let alone ponder its future. But its body is already adapting and preparing for its specific environment, Gluckman says, by reading cues sent through Williams' blood and amniotic fluid.
"Every baby in fetal life is adjusting its pattern of development according to the world it predicts it will live in," he says.
Reading cues while in utero
During the crucial"window of opportunity" before birth and during infancy, environmental cues help"program" a person's DNA, says Alexander Jones of Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and the University College of London Institute for Child Health. This happens through a delicate interplay of genes and the environment called epigenetics, which can determine how a baby reacts for the rest of its life, Jones says.
Through epigenetics, chemical groups attach to DNA. Although they don't change the order of the genes, the chemical groups can switch those genes on or off, Jones says.
Many things, such as chemical contaminants, can cause epigenetic changes. So babies exposed in the womb to synthetic hormones may begin responding abnormally to the natural hormones later made by their own bodies, says Hugh Taylor of Yale University School of Medicine.
That's why, doctors believe, many babies exposed before birth to a drug called DES, or diethylstilbestrol, later developed rare cancers or fertility problems, Taylor says.
Doctors stopped prescribing DES, which had been used for decades to prevent miscarriages, in 1971. But Taylor and other scientists are concerned that"hormone-disrupting" chemicals, such as those used in pesticides and even common plastics, could cause similar problems.
Babies and children also can develop abnormal reactions to stress, says Jack Shonkoff of Harvard University, co-author of a June paper on early influences in health in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
In the short term, reacting to typical, everyday difficulties can help people develop a healthy response to stress.
But persistent,"toxic" stress — such as neglect or extreme poverty — may program a child's nervous system to be on perpetual high alert. Over time, this can damage the immune response and lead to chronic ailments, such as heart disease and depression, the study says.
Diet as a predictor
A pregnant woman's diet tells a fetus a lot about its future environment, including how much food will be available after birth, Jones says.
A baby conceived during a famine, for example, might learn to be"thrifty," hoarding every calorie and packing on fat rather than muscle, even at the expense of developing vital organs, such as the kidneys, liver and brain. Because of a lack of calories, the baby also may be born small.
In a famine, those early adjustments and predictions about the future could mean the difference between survival and starvation, Jones says.
But babies may run into trouble if the world doesn't match their predictions, Jones says.
A baby who has learned to hoard calories, for example, may grow up to be fat or diabetic once he or she finally gets enough to eat, Jones says. Doctors believe this occurs not just with babies whose mothers are starving, but with those who are malnourished because of a mother's medical problems, poor nutrition or exposure to tobacco smoke, which damages the placenta.
It's well known, Taylor says, that women who smoke are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies, who are in some ways"starved" for nutrients in the womb. Babies born too small are at risk for many immediate problems, such as underdeveloped lungs and bleeding in the brain.
If they survive, these youngsters also face long-term risks.
Studies show that small babies who gain weight rapidly in infancy or childhood — a sign that bodies are already making the most of every calorie — also have higher rates of adult heart disease and diabetes, Jones says.
Specialized X-rays have shown babies of young mothers with poor diets in India, for example, are born with extra belly fat, even though they seem to be a normal weight. Once these babies start getting an adequate diet, they are likely to put on weight, Gluckman says.
"Even by the time of birth, they're on a different pattern of development," Gluckman says.
Teaching future mothers
Adversity in early life can increase a child's risk of disease, but it doesn't seal his or her fate, Shonkoff says.
Although emotional abuse in childhood increases the risk of adult depression, for example, supportive relationships with adults can help children cope and recover, Shonkoff says.
Communities also can help, Gluckman says. By helping women such as Williams get good prenatal care and nutrition, for example, communities can reduce the number of fetuses who are malnourished and born small, Gluckman says. Babies who are born at normal weight are more likely to maintain that healthy weight.
Because half of pregnancies are unplanned, women need to learn about nutrition — and maintain healthy diets — long before they conceive, Gluckman says.
"We have got to give far greater focus to mothers, the women who are likely to become mothers and to the care of newborn children than we have in the past," Gluckman says.
Williams, who also has a 1-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, says she's trying hard to give her children a bright future. She breast-fed both and now works as a breast-feeding peer counselor at the Family Health and Birth Center in Washington, D.C., where many patients are low-income or minority mothers.
The birth center also aims to help babies by getting their moms good prenatal care.
About 6% of black mothers who delivered at the birth center had low-birth-weight babies, compared with the citywide average of 14.2% for black mothers, says the center's Ruth Watson Lubic.
"Twentieth-century medicine dealt with child health and adult health separately," Shonkoff says."What 21st-century medicine is telling us is that if we want to change adult health, we have to look in babies, even before they're born."
The last two clients I evaluated are struggling with acne. And recently, we were linked to an acne care website that is bringing in a whole new audience. So I thought it might be a good time to talk a little bit more about this topic.
First of all, thanks to Fran Kerr for linking to Susan Dopart's testimonial about flax and fish oil! It was a great way for our two organizations to become connected. I am going to put Fran's blog (http://www.highonhealth.org/) in our resource list because she has so much great information to offer. Not just on skin, but on living healthy in general.
Secondly, for those of you who are coming to us from Fran's blog/website, I'd like to ask you if you have ever heard about polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It's the focus of this website, and many women find out they have it when they seek help for their acne. And…many women don't get that assessment. I actually had a dermatologist tell me she'd rather just give her patients birth control pills and end the appointment rather than get into it because it's such a complicated diagnosis.
A very common scenario is just that. A young girl goes to the dermatologist for her acne, gets birth control pills, takes them for 10 years or so, goes off them, tries to get pregnant…and can't. What happened was that the birth control pills treated the symptom…but essentially shoved the problem under the rug…where it continued to fester and create havoc elsewhere in the body.
So I want to take a moment to list the symptoms of PCOS for those of you who might have had this experience but either didn't have a doctor who wanted to deal with it, or who had a doctor who thought if you just"got your act together" you wouldn't have the problem.
Symptoms of PCOS include: A family history of infertility, irregular periods, or diabetes Being of an ethnic heritage that tends to have a high rate of diabetes A history of early puberty (first period at 11 years or younger) A history of taking medication for depression, bipolar disorder, seizure disorder, epilepsy, or migraine? A history of gestational diabetes in any of your pregnancies. An android ("apple shaped") body type (measure your waist to hip ratio; greater than.8) Irregular periods (or none at all) Dark velvety patches of skin on you neck, groin, or in your armpits Hair loss or male balding spots Difficulty losing weight Intense cravings for carbohydrates or sweets Problems conceiving Decreased sex drive Excess hair growth on your face, like a mustache or beard Excess hair on your chest or back Acne on your face, chest or back
If you see yourself painted in this symptom set, please print this out with your symptoms marked and show them to your physician. Ten percent of all women who have this syndrome will be diabetic by age 40, and with diabetes comes a whole other list of problems.
And keep checking back here. There are lots of ways to manage PCOS that do not involve medication, and we'd love to help you learn about them. In fact, the list of practitioners at the right is a list of registered dietitians who have taken the time to complete a 20 hour course in the management of PCOS. They are just waiting to hear from you.
For more information, please visit my web page on the topic: http://www.afterthediet.com/polycystic.htm
Have a wonderful week, it's a short one with the upcoming holiday!
Last night I had a consultation with a client who is in her mid 50's. She doesn't officially have PCOS, but she has many of the symptoms, and I believe if she were younger, trying to have children, she might have the diagnosis. What is really interesting about this case is that this woman was born 2 months prematurely and spent several weeks in a neonatal intensive care unit before being able to go home. This was long before this was commonplace.
A very high percentage of my clients were born prematurely. This is a huge risk factor because it is during the last trimester of pregnancy that the brain and nervous system does the majority of its development. When the baby's nervous system is forced to grow and develop in an unfamiliar and unnatural…and stressful…environment, it just can't thrive like a nervous system that is at home in the womb.
Secondly, inside momma, there is at least a little bit of exposure to nutrients that are needed for this development. Outside the womb, we can do our best, but we can never completely replicate nature. In the case of my client, her intensive care stay happened long before we even knew much of this, and before omega-3 fatty acids were added to the feedings of babies in intensive care units. So my client, essentially, has been playing catch up at least since the day she was born.
A recent study confirmed what I just described, and what I've been teaching for several years. In a study comparing 28 babies categorized as"small for gestational age", 28 babies whose weight was statistically normal, and 56 normal-weight babies. An additional comparison was made between 60 premature babies, 20 of which were"small for gestational age" and 40 whose weight was normal.
Preterm babies seemed to have higher levels of building blocks of essential fatty acids, but the important omegas that they needed were not there, indicating that something about preterm birth may impair the conversion process. Term, normal weight babies had higher levels of DHA (one of those essential omegas), and higher ratios of endpoint to building block compounds. This suggested that the term babies were better able to convert building blocks into active omega-3's.
Term but small babies had higher levels of eicosapentaenoic acid, which is an intermediate in the conversion, meaning perhaps that lower weight babies also have important metabolic differences.
So, it seems, there are two important goals: (1) keep that baby in utero as long as possible, and (2) don't get so caught up in your pregnancy weight gain that you restrict your baby's development. Goal #1, interestingly, has been shown to be more achievable in mothers who consume adequate omega-3s! Goal #2 is a little more challenging, especially if you are being managed for gestational diabetes and your weight is being more closely monitored. That's when quality or what you do eat becomes important. It's going to be hard to get enough omega-3's, optimize your baby's weight gain, and keep your insulin function under control, if your focus is not on nutritionally dense foods that give you a bang for your buck.
That's why inCYST works so hard to train its professionals. They love to do this work, and they would love to help you figure it out!
Agostoni C, Marangoni F, Stival G, Gatelli I, Pinto F, Risé P, Giovannini M, Galli C, Riva E. Whole Blood Fatty Acid Composition Differs in Term Vs Mildly Preterm Infants: Small Vs Matched Appropriate For Gestational Age. Pediatr Res. 2008 Apr 3.
Just a quick note of congratulations to inCYSTer Marissa Kent, one of the very first members of our network. Marissa just completed, and passed, her exam for her Certified Diabetes Educator (CD) examination. Marissa has a great combination of knowledge and skills pertinent to PCOS, including this CDE certification, and training in eating disorders and intuitive eating. Her practice is located in Mission Viejo, California.
Marissa is accepting registrations for her next intuitive eating group, starting in June 2010. If you are interested in learning more, please visit her website, http://www.marissakentnutrition.com/.
Congratulations, Marissa! That's no small deal what you've accomplished and we're excited that women with PCOS in Orange County have you to guide them toward balance and health.
