Merry Christmas

/in /by

Paula,
our family, and I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas. As you can see,
our grandson Riley has talked to Santa and he’s ready!

No matter what your beliefs, every religion has a time for peace. We wish you peace today and every day. May your travels be safe, your holiday joyful, and your heart be thankful for your blessings. I hope that is what you’re prepared to do today and tomorrow.

We're sorry, but this content is available to Members and Insiders only.

If you're already a DrChet.com Member or Insider, click on the Membership Login link on the top menu. Members may upgrade to Insider by going to the Store and clicking Membership; your membership fee will be prorated automatically.

Tips for a Healthier 2019

/in /by

Did
you notice there were no Memos this week? Maybe you were so busy with holiday
preparations, you didn’t notice. Rather than write long Memos during the week
before Christmas, I recorded an audio you could listen to at your convenience.

In
the audio, I give you three tips that can help you reach your health goals in
2019. Here is the link to listen:

https://fccdl.in/wxqhUWFlhw

You
can listen on your phone, your tablet, or your computer. If you have Bluetooth
in your car . . .

We're sorry, but this content is available to Members and Insiders only.

If you're already a DrChet.com Member or Insider, click on the Membership Login link on the top menu. Members may upgrade to Insider by going to the Store and clicking Membership; your membership fee will be prorated automatically.

Holiday Eating: Your Strategies

/in /by

As we finish two weeks on planning for holiday eating, I’m turning it over to you, the men and women who read the Memo. There are excellent points in every approach.

This one encompasses just about every strategy and was the first response:

  • Lose weight before the holidays. Be conservative on helpings starting with Thanksgiving. Allow some small portion of goodies or dessert, trying to eat it after protein consumption and while still somewhat full. Try to exercise more—this is more difficult due to the holiday schedule of activities. Stand up every 30 minutes if you . . .

    We're sorry, but this content is available to Members and Insiders only.

    If you're already a DrChet.com Member or Insider, click on the Membership Login link on the top menu. Members may upgrade to Insider by going to the Store and clicking Membership; your membership fee will be prorated automatically.

Holiday Eating: Just Eat

/in /by

The final strategy of dealing with holiday eating is to just dig in and enjoy every morsel. Christmas holiday foods are generally around during a very limited time. Most of us don’t have one holiday party after another, day in and day out, so just eat. Eat what you like and don’t give it a second thought. It’s just around for awhile and then it’s gone until the next year.

The important aspect is what comes next: reestablishing control. Eat a slimmed down healthy diet for several days to balance your holiday eating exuberance.

There are . . .

We're sorry, but this content is available to Members and Insiders only.

If you're already a DrChet.com Member or Insider, click on the Membership Login link on the top menu. Members may upgrade to Insider by going to the Store and clicking Membership; your membership fee will be prorated automatically.

Holiday Eating: Preload

/in /by

The fourth strategy of dealing with holiday eating is to preload. The idea is to eat some things that are healthy or at least healthier. In that way, you will be partially full and not as prone to overeat. There are two ways to do this.

The first is to eat a salad with a variety of greens: lettuces, kale, spinach, asparagus. Tomatoes are fine as well as cucumbers. Just skip the cheese and protein and use a minimal amount of dressing. Add a soft drink, coffee, tea, or water to fill even more space. If you occupy space with . . .

We're sorry, but this content is available to Members and Insiders only.

If you're already a DrChet.com Member or Insider, click on the Membership Login link on the top menu. Members may upgrade to Insider by going to the Store and clicking Membership; your membership fee will be prorated automatically.

Holiday Eating: Modify Your Recipes

/in /by

The third way of dealing with holiday eating is to modify the recipe—that is, if you’re doing the cooking. This approach can be tricky, especially if you’re baking, and you may want to do a trial run. In some recipes, it’s the chemical reactions between the nutrients that contribute to taste and texture. Simply trying to lower the fat content of a recipe or changing to an artificial sweetener such as stevia may not get the results you want. The sweetness of stevia may be altered by cooking or baking; less fat can change the texture . . .

We're sorry, but this content is available to Members and Insiders only.

If you're already a DrChet.com Member or Insider, click on the Membership Login link on the top menu. Members may upgrade to Insider by going to the Store and clicking Membership; your membership fee will be prorated automatically.

Holiday Eating: Portion Control

/in /by

The second way to deal with the onslaught of special foods during the holidays is to limit your portions. My diet philosophy has been that you can eat whatever you want as long as you control the amount and the frequency. Throw low-carb or low-fat out the window; if you can control the amount you eat, there are no holiday foods that are off limits.

That begs the question: can you control the portion? I make peanut brittle every Christmas. I have never done drugs, so I don’t know how accurate it is to say this, but . . .

We're sorry, but this content is available to Members and Insiders only.

If you're already a DrChet.com Member or Insider, click on the Membership Login link on the top menu. Members may upgrade to Insider by going to the Store and clicking Membership; your membership fee will be prorated automatically.

Holiday Eating: Abstain

/in /by

The days of holiday cookies, candy, and other luscious desserts have arrived. It’s a month-long battle to limit the damage. But it’s not just the sweets; stuffing, gravy, marshmallow-covered candied yams, and many more all show up this time of year. Holiday parties from work, church, and other organizations range from simple pitch-ins to full-course meals. How do we deal with this onslaught of culinary delights?

I can think of at least four strategies we can use; there are probably more so I’m asking you to email me your strategies for holiday eating . . .

We're sorry, but this content is available to Members and Insiders only.

If you're already a DrChet.com Member or Insider, click on the Membership Login link on the top menu. Members may upgrade to Insider by going to the Store and clicking Membership; your membership fee will be prorated automatically.

The Bottom Line on Preschoolers, Probiotics, and Gastroenteritis

/in /by

“These studies are likely to have significant impact towards eliminating use of medications that don't seem to work.”

That’s a quote from a physician interviewed by NPR who wrote a commentary accompanying the two research papers on probiotic use for gastroenteritis or GE (1). I think it perfectly illustrates the fallacy of the pharmaceutical model of research on nutrition and its impact on health:

Nutrients are not medications.

They may come in pill form, they can be administered like medications, but they’re nutrients nonetheless.
Questions About the Studies
The . . .

We're sorry, but this content is available to Members and Insiders only.

If you're already a DrChet.com Member or Insider, click on the Membership Login link on the top menu. Members may upgrade to Insider by going to the Store and clicking Membership; your membership fee will be prorated automatically.

Did Probiotics Help Preschoolers with Gastroenteritis?

/in /by

The use of probiotics to stop diarrhea and vomiting for preschoolers with gastroenteritis (GE) was studied in two major studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In the U.S. study, 55 of the 468 subjects who got the probiotics had scores of nine or greater on the scale while 60 of 475 in the placebo group has scores of nine or greater for the two weeks after the study began. This was a 20-point scale and the higher the score, the worse the GE symptoms. No significant differences.

In the Canadian study, 108 of the 414 subjects in the probiotics group and 102 of the 413 subjects in the placebo group had scores of nine or greater for the two weeks after the study began. Again no significant differences were found.

This led both research groups to conclude that the probiotics used in the studies were ineffective in preventing negative GE outcomes compared to those who received the placebo.

The press releases and follow-up interviews were much harsher in their criticism of probiotics. One of the study leaders concluded that “These two probiotics did not work. They should not be used for GE.” I would emphasize “period!” was implied. But is that true? If you’re a regular Memo reader, I’ll bet you have an idea where this is going; I’ll explain on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

References:
1. N Engl J Med 2018; 379:2015-2026. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1802597.
2. N Engl J Med 2018; 379:2002-2014. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1802598.