Weightloss & Diabetes
Q: Is it true that 2/3 of American are overweight?
A. Yes, Right now almost 2/3 of Americans are overweight! By 2030 more than half our population may be clinically obese.
Q. Are our children and grand children at risk?
A. Yes. Childhood obesity has tripled and most of them will grow up to be obese as well. The United States may be in the midst of raising the first generation since our nation’s founding that will have a shorter predicted life span than that of the previous one.
Q. Does exercise play a role in weight loss?
A. Yes, but not enough. The food industry blames American obesity on inactivity, claiming Americans don’t do enough exercise. It may be true that Americans don’t do enough exercise, but that in itself does not explain or justify the amount of overweight americans, ‘The increase of obesity can be explained by overconsumption of calories alone.’ Exercise can prevent weight gain but you would have to do a lot of it. Studies actually show that Americans have increased the amount of exercise they do, yet the amount of overweight Americans has significantly increased.
Q. Why don’t we lose more weight from exercise?
A. Part of it is that we don’t get enough. A 1% decrease in BMI nationwide would prevent thousands of cases of diabetes alone. People tend to over estimate the amount of calories that are burned from exercise.
Q. Does sexual activity cause weight loss?
A. Yes, but not enough. The average bout of sexual activity only lasts about 6 minutes, so a young man may burn 21 calories, which may burn 1 french fry worth of food intake.
Q. Is exercise good for us?
A. Absolutely, Yes!!! getting your heart rate up is important to the health of your body. When we move, our blood moves, and it keeps what is known as our endothelium healthy. A healthy endothelium allows our body’s own natural pharmacy to heal itself in most cases.
Q. So, Are you saying that it’s important to exercise, but one must cut calories to lose weight?
A. Yes, studies show that obesity in the U.S. is primarily from consuming too many calories. In the 1980’s major food companies began to replace sugar with high fructose corn syrup. This is a problem because you eat and you don’t get full, even though you are consuming beaucoup calories!
Q. What kind of food contains high fructose corn syrup?
A. Just about everything! It seems nearly everything contains high fructose corn syrup including tomato sauce, salad dressing, soda, many sports drinks, breads, breakfast cereals, ketchup, miracle whip, cough syrups, crackers, some yogurts, ice cream, cookies, cakes and much, much more. You must read the food labels. Try to buy as much whole food as you can. When you enter a grocery store, it’s best to shop for most of your foods on the perimeter of the store. Here you will find whole food nutrition. Everything on the inside isles is processed.
Q. Are plant based diets are good for diabetes?
A. Yes. There is a 78% lower prevalence of diabetes when eating a plant-based diet. This is based on a study of 89,000 for over 50 years.
Q: Is Juice Plus safe for a diabetic?
A. Yes. Juice plus has been tested and scrutinized by Yale medical School and other top academic and government sources worldwide. Juice plus contains fruits and vegetables and is good to take daily instead of a multivitamin. Although Juice plus has fruit in it, the sugar has been extracted. It is safe for a diabetic.
Q. How can I get more information from a local rep on Juice Plus?
A. You can call our office to order or get additional information.
Q. Thanks Dr Liz. I realize now that I must eat more whole foods and consume fewer calories to lose weight, which will also help me prevent diabetes.
About Dr. Liz Perry
Dr. Liz is a primary care provider with a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and a Master’s degree in Business Management from Harvard University. For over 22 years, Dr. Liz has worked as an international healthcare consultant, has traveled the world, and has written hundreds of published articles as a health journalist.