“What to Eat When You Have Diarrhea…”

As unpleasant as this topic may be, it is a common question I get in the office.

First off, what exactly is diarrhea?

Diarrhea is an inflammatory response within the intestine to purge your system of something that has offended it. Tainted food, too much sugar, too much fat, viral and bacterial organisms, etc. are all triggers for this reaction.

Please understand that while it is unpleasant, it is a necessary bodily function to heal you. Therefore, if you do not have to work or go out, try to avoid taking Pepto or Kaeopectate. These medicines stop you up and prevent you from getting rid of the icky thing that is making you react this way. Of course if you do have to work and can’t stay close to home, then use them.

BRAT Diet…

What your stomach needs is for you to not stress it while you are sickly. What I advocate to my patients is called the B.R.A.T. diet.

It’s an acronym that stands for:

B: Bananas

R: Rice (plain white)

A: Applesauce (or finely smashed apples)

T: Toast (dry)

These foods are easy on the tummy and provide nourishment to keep your strength up. This temporary diet can be used for a few days and is appropriate for small children to adults.

Hydration…

Also sipping small amounts of room temperature water constantly, being careful not to fill up your stomach, will help keep you hydrated.

Olde Tyme remedy…

Another remedy is to drink a couple of teaspoons of apple cider vinegar with warm water. This is an old home remedy that can kill organisms and also calm down a sour stomach.

So the next time you or a family member have a run in with the runs… remember to eat like a BRAT and sip apple cider vinegar.

“Cholesterol…How Low Can You Go?”

Did you know you can lower your total cholesterol levels too much?

Your “total” cholesterol number should be between 140 at the lowest and 200 at the highest. No need to go lower than 140.

Many cases have been cited where patients started borderline high, say low 200’s and took cholesterol lowering drugs and ended up too low, which caused depression, mania, suicidal and homicidal thoughts, etc. Your brain needs a certain amount of cholesterol to be healthy.

You need to also consider your “bad” cholesterol or LDL’s. They should be 70mg/dl or less. Also check your labs for a triglyceride level of 150 or less.

If your total cholesterol level is low 200’s, then you can get it down with diet and exercise. No need for drugs. And adding certain foods that lower cholesterol is just as important as eliminating foods that increase bad cholesterol.

Some diet tips to lower cholesterol here:

http://www.drmarks.com/eat_drink_be_thin_mediterranean_diet.html

Here’s a couple of pages with cholesterol and blood lipids charts to compare your labs with:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol-levels/CL00001
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol-level/AN01394

Diet Debate… More Proof

I have always been a strong advocate of a lifestyle that includes a diet high in protein with moderate amounts of complex carbs and fat and very low simple carbs. There are two diet approaches that closely resemble this ratio: Atkins and “Mediterranean Diet.”

I’ve written in the past about the Med Diet  and it is my favored approach because I like the food choices and it is a “lifestyle” not just a set of diet restrictions. Many people cannot handle being so strict as is required with the Atkins approach.

But heres’ the bototm line: They both work!

And now there’s a new study that proves it. Go here for a great write up and a link to the complete study:

I’m sure the debate over high protein vs high carb diets will continue, but I am still firmly in the camp for higher protein and lower carbs. The key is to find a lifestyle that works for you. A lifestyle that allows you to eat what you like, reduce your risk for disease and maintain your proper body weight.

Throw Your Scale Away!

 

Losing or maintaining proper weight is mainly a mental game. If you understand the Law of Attraction (LOA) then you realize that what you think about manifests. Good or bad.

 

Jumping onto a scale and allowing the little dial or digital number to control whether you are going to have a good or bad day is not a very good idea.

 

Who needs daily negative reinforcement? That is the opposite of what you want to attract into your life. You are focusing on weight.

 

Besides, what the scale tells you is, for the most part, completely irrelevant to a healthy life. Yes, that’s right, your weight has nothing to do with how healthy you are. It’s just a number.

 

And who’s really to say what number is right for you? I don’t care if you are 400 lbs. It doesn’t take a $200 digital, body-fat-analyzing gadget to tell you you’re obese! You can look at 400 lbs and say, “whoa, I need to lose weight!”

 

You can also button up your jeans and say, “whoa, I need to lose an inch!”

 

Your actual weight in numbers is useless info really.

Here’s what’s important.

• How your body is shaped and proportioned.

Brutally Honest Body Proportion Quiz:

1. Does your belly hang over your pants? You’re too fat.
2. Do you have love handles hangin’ way over the edges of your skirt? Too fat.
3. Are you a man n need of a “bro” or “mansiere”? Lose some fat.

Here’s another important point.

• Knowing your body morphology.

 

 

Morphology means how your body is shaped or built. Everyone falls within one of 3 main categories. These are set in your genetic code so you cannot change them.

Ectomorph (Ecto = skeleton)
Thin structure with thin muscles and relatively long limbs. No matter what, these people can’t seem to keep any fat on them. If they are overweight is almost only right on the gut. Imagine a pole with a watermelon stuck on the front of it. That’s an overweight ectomorph. Because their muscles are thin and their bones are thin, Ecto’s weigh less than you’d think for their height.

Endomorph (Endo = fat)
These people are built very roundish. They are from an early age pear shaped. Even if they starved themselves to death they’d appear pudgy. When they get overweight they gain weight all over and really look big. Endo or fat tissue is relatively light, much lighter than muscle or bone, so Endo’s weigh significantly less than you’d think for their overall size.

Mesomorph (Meso = muscle)
Meso’s are built with compact, short and thick muscles. It doesn’t take much for these types to bulk up. If they lift a paperclip their muscles grow! No matter what they do they cannot appear skinny. When they gain weight it is usually around the abdomen and chest. Muscle tissue is heavy for it’s size, so Meso’s are usually the heavy weights for their relative height. 

 

So when considering losing weight or shaping up, keep in mind what your morphology is. Aim for being a perfectly shaped Ecto, Endo or Meso. Don’t compare to others. Only compare to your prototypical shape.

Here’ a hint: eat good foods in moderate proportions and exercise. Simple I know, but if you burn more than you take in, your body will naturally reach equilibrium and become shaped the way you were intended.

 

If you’re a patient of mine or a VIP Member of Healthy Beyond Reason and would like a Fr^e assessment of your body morphology and tips on weigh management and fitness using scientific principles and only real food, contact me at drm@drmarks.com and reference this article.

 

If you’re on my ExecFitnessProgram.com list you may either email me for a Fr^e evaluation or if you’re not in the area, just shoot me an email with a couple of photos; 1 standing front view full body and 1 side view waist to upper body. I’ll give you an assessment by email.

 

Warmest regards,

 

Dr. Barry L. Marks, DC

 

P.S. Here are a couple of articles you may have missed that are relevant to this topic:

 

http://www.drmarks.com/debate_over_diets.html

 

http://www.drmarks.com/anaerobic_vs_aerobic_exercise.html