Why you must watch what you eat…
According to Loyola nutritionist Amy Luke, Ph.D., “Decreased physical activity may not be the primary driver of the obesity epidemic.” Physical activity has many proven benefits but research suggests that weight control might not be among the main benefits. People burn more calories when they exercise. But they compensate by eating more, said Richard Cooper, Ph.D., co-author of a recent study.
“Evidence is beginning to accumulate that dietary intake may be more important than energy expenditure level,” Luke said. “Weight loss is not likely to happen without dietary restraint.”
Source: Energy expenditure does not predict weight change in either Nigerian or African American women.
Smoking and Back Pain
According to a recent survey smokers or former smokers suffer chronic back pain much more often than do non-smokers. The number of years the subjects had been smoking or had smoked was decisive. Subjects who had consumed tobacco for more than 16 years had a two-fold greater probability of suffering chronic back pain than subjects who had smoked for less than 10 years.
Source: Smoking and Chronic Back Pain.
Boswellia for inflammation
For thousands of years the herb boswellia (Boswellia serrata) has been used to treat a wide range of conditions that are caused by inflammation. Unlike NSAIDs (such as aspirin), this herbal extract which is derived from gum resin secreted by the boswellia tree, fights inflammation by blocking the pro-inflammatory 5-LOX (5-lipoxygenase), the first enzyme in the metabolic pathway leading to the synthesis of leukotrienes, harmful inflammatory substances that have a direct influence on a number of disease processes. Clinical studies suggest efficacy against autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and bronchial asthma.
Boswellia is a key component of Institute for Progressive Medicine’s Inflammatone.
Source: Boswellic acids in chronic inflammatory diseases.
When it comes to fat, eat short chains
Researchers have uncovered why some dietary fats are more prone to induce inflammation. Long-chain fats, it turns out, promote increased intestinal absorption of pro-inflammatory bacterial molecules called lipopolysaccharides (LPS).
While dietary fats that have short chains can be absorbed directly into the bloodstream from the intestines, long-chain fats need to be first packaged by the intestinal cells into particles known as chylomicrons (large complexes similar to HDL and LDL particles). Long chain fatty acids can promote significant absorption of LPS into the blood and lymph nodes and subsequent expression of inflammatory genes.
Use short and medium chain fats such as walnut and olive oils for low-heat cooking and in salads. Use coconut oil, a medium chain oil, for higher heat frying.
IPM now carries the Cocommune Bar, a snack bar which contains coconut oil, a rich source of the medium chain fatty acid lauric acid, a proven anti-microbial agent.
Source: Chylomicrons promote intestinal absorption of lipopolysaccharides.