Monthly Archives: December 2017

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Food Energy

Can you eat foods that improve energy?  One of the most common complaints I see is fatigue, or feeling tired.  I see fatigue complaints at least 1-2 times weekly.

Fatigue is a nonspecific issue and there are many reasons for it.  The most common reasons include low vitamin B12, depression, medication side effects, sleep apnea, low testosterone, sleep disorders,  and substance abuse disorders.  I take a thorough history, examination,  check thyroid and vitamin B12 levels along with a basic set of labs.  However,  once the history, physical and bloodwork yield no diagnosis, I am done.

Before three years ago, I laid these issues to rest, but I made a few discoveries as I learned more about nutrition.  For one, there is frequently a correlation between your diet and your energy level.  I commonly encounter a tired man who eats once daily, usually dinner, but skips breakfast and/or lunch routinely.  Or,  he eats a  Chic-fil-A chicken biscuit, hash rounds with coffee or Krispy Kreme doughnut for breakfast.  .

The problem with any of the above foods is that they are dirty fuel, not clean fuel.  Dirty fuel is high in calories due to fat content, but nutritionally deficient  in comparison to clean fuel, fruits, and vegetables.  Krispy  Kreme doughnuts are processed foods that cause huge blood sugar increases with subsequent sugar crashes that leave you tired.  Doughnuts have a high glycemic index leading to rapid, massive sugar release into the bloodstream.  Bacon, eggs, and toast in combination or separate fails to provide much readily available “good sugar” to improve energy.  Sugar is the first and best  fuel your body wants to burn.  Fat and protein are not as easily accessible for energy when compared with sugar; therefore, many become tired when eating  low carbohydrate diets.

Clean fuel foods are significant because they are  slow-release   carbohydrates (low glycemic index) supplying a steady stream of sugar into your blood stream leading to better metabolism, improved appetite, increased energy,  and effective brain function.

So, instead of having a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit from McDonald’s, consider the oatmeal, or better yet, make  it at home and eat it at work the next day.

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Clean snacks?

The holidays are an interesting time of year  for food.  There are all types of temptations especially at work.  I never want to become so desperate that I mindlessly consume whatever is present.   I have improved my willpower over the years by providing myself with plenty of options.

At least once yearly, someone gives me a gift basket containing mixed nuts or candied nuts.  I love eating nuts.  They taste great, and they reduce your appetite when consumed in small amounts numbering 10-20 daily.  However, eating more  will cause weight gain that is difficult to lose.  You see nuts are made of good fat, but your body still absorbs it directly as fat.  Nuts are dirty fuel plain and simple.  It will not help  your cause if weight loss is your goal.

Though we have talked about it already, cured meats and cheese are commonly contained in gift baskets, and they are tempting.  Please refer to my prior post on milk and disease for more details.  But both are quintessential dirty fuels.

How can you overcome these temptations?  By supplying yourself with plenty of options.  First, if able, always eat breakfast before going to work or take it with you and eat it soon after you arrive.  I usually eat cereal with almond milk or overnight oatmeal.  Both are very filling.  Second, I bring 1-2 bananas, or a banana and grapes with me.  Though I am not a fiend for sweets, the natural sweetness of fruit satisfies me enough to bolster my willpower.  And I may only do one serving or a small piece of a pastry rather than doing 1 or more of them if I do any at all.  Or course, all bets are off if you drive all day for work or do construction.  I will save that for another post.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

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Eating Out and Clean

Eating out and clean is a struggle.  I try to eat meat or dirty fuel  once daily on three out of seven days weekly.  Someone asked me today if I eat meat to get enough vitamin B12.  For those who do not know, vitamin B12  is found in meat, and you can become B12-deficient on a vegan diet.  Anyone on a vegan diet should consider taking over-the-counter vitamin B12 1000 micrograms (mcg) once daily.   I told her  I eat meat in certain situations  out of desperation (due to lack of options) more than vitamin B12. I don’t always have the time to cook and my refrigerator is empty when that happens.

You see, I struggle with the same struggles anyone else does.  I have  enjoyed my fair share of dirty fuel, and yet I have severely limited my dirty fuel consumption  for over two years.

With that said, I wanted to give some specific recommendations for anyone interested in eating clean while out.

1.  I have heard that Taco Bell has a decent-to- good vegan menu.  I cannot vouch for  it since I do not eat their food.

  1. Mexican restaurants: I recommend beans and greens for maximum weight loss, but these restaurants offer diverse rice and bean options.  You cannot go wrong.  Try not to do cheese and sour cream though.

3.  Thai or Chinese restaurants:  Jasmine rice is good stuff especially combined with other sides.  Do not sleep on rice.  Rice is required at every meal in parts of Asia and people are rarely overweight unless they eat KFC.

4.  Soulfood and Caribbean restaurants:  They are imperfect, but you can usually get beans, potatoes, yams, cabbage and other assorted vegetables.

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Dirty and Diabetes

I have mentioned this before, but I will reiterate it again.  Diet was not a priority during my medical training.  We always asked or ordered an  American Diabetes Association (ADA) diabetic diet consisting of 1500-2000 calories per day for hospitalized patients with diabetes.  The ADA diet consisted of eating a well-balanced  diet that limited processed food consumption.  On the surface,  it seemed to help diabetes, but these patients rarely improved their sugars and many had to at least maintain their present medications.

The ADA diet is inadequate for eliminating diabetes, but eating clean fuel and limiting dirty fuel can clearly control diabetes and reduce insulin  and medication use.   Carbohydrates are supposedly the problem, but rice is consumed in large quantities in Asia where diabetes is rare.  Furthermore, parts of Africa are similar and their primary diet is sweet potatoes and beans.  Again, carbohydrates do not cause diabetes.

However, there are several studies showing the contribution of fat to the diagnosis of diabetes.  Fat containing foods or dirty fuel promote fat absorption, weight gain and insulin resistance leading to diabetes.   The difference between the western world and parts of Africa and Asia is that the western world eats more processed food, fat and animal protein than the simple carbohydrates consumed in other parts of the world.

Compare a diabetes-causing meal versus a diabetes-curing meal.

Dirty meal:  Fried or baked wings, french fries and cole slaw.

Clean meal:  Two oven roasted sweet potatoes (1 tablespoon of olive oil) prepared like french fries, a bowl of black beans and a tossed salad.

The dirty meal causes diabetes, but there is not one sweet item on the menu.  However, the grease and animal protein causes insulin resistance fueling diabetes.  The clean meal is a profoundly low fat meal.  Eating this way will reduce a patient’s weight, diabetes medications or insulin requirements.    I did not provide the specific references to articles contained in the post, but please write a comment if anyone is interested in obtaining them.