While most of us are guilty of making an offhand remark about depression from time to time, like “Yeah, I’m a little depressed today”, true depression is a significant, potentially life-changing condition that affects millions of people. It’s also very complicated; much more so than simply calling it a chemical imbalance. While having too much or too little of certain chemicals in the brain can be a factor in depression, there are actually many possible causes, such as genetic predisposition, stressful or traumatic experiences, medical problems and reactions to drugs and medications. Inadequate levels of vitamin B, vitamin B12 in particular, may also be linked to depression. Researchers have yet to determine exactly why a lack of B12 leads to mood disorders, increased anxiety levels and depression, but it is believed that there may be a connection to the role it plays in the synthesis of mood-regulating brain chemicals, like serotonin and dopamine. Vitamin B12 plays an important role in the body. Its presence is necessary for the production of red blood cells and functions associated with nerves, DNA and other bodily processes. Despite how necessary B12 is, like most other vitamins, the body cannot make its own and must rely on food or some other form of supplementation. This can often result in a B12 deficiency, especially in older people. Many individuals simply do not consume the necessary amounts and others have gastrointestinal absorption issues and cannot absorb enough, no matter how much they take in. Vegans and those who are strict vegetarians are prime candidates for vitamin B12 deficiency, because it is not found in vegetables or other plants; only in meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products and other foods that come from animals. Anyone having weight-loss surgery is also at risk, because the operation hinders the body’s ability to extract the vitamin from food.
Signs and Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Vitamin B12 deficiency can manifest with a wide array of symptoms; sometimes all of a sudden and other times gradually, with intensity levels growing over time. One of the reasons that this condition is often misdiagnosed is that there is such a range of symptoms, making it easy to attribute to something else. Some of the symptoms include:
numbness, tingling, burning or other strange sensations in hands, legs or feet
staggering, coordination or balance problems when walking
constipation
appetite and weight loss
anemia
a swollen, inflamed or smooth tongue
jaundice
cognitive difficulties or memory loss
paranoia
hallucinations
physical weakness
fatigue
Vitamin B12 is crucial for brain function and, besides the other possible physical symptoms, deficiency can result in depression, psychosis, mania and dementia. For those who are unable to maintain an adequate level of vitamin B12, it is important that they consult with a healthcare professional and initiate a corrective plan. Suggestions for accomplishing this may include a change in diet, supplement recommendations or vitamin injections.
At the Southern California Center for Anti-Aging, we know how important nutrition is to health and well-being. Today’s diets are depleted of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and other nutrients due to the decreasing quality of our food supply, poor soil and busy lifestyles. Vitamins are a crucial factor to feeling energetic, maintaining a strong immune system, and decreasing risk factors for many diseases. Once we have diagnosed your particular case through carefully administered testing, we will make our recommendations for dietary changes or supplementation, such as highly absorbable vitamin injections, based on your individual needs.
To learn more about any of our services, take advantage of our Free Consultation by clicking here to use our convenient online form.
Holistic Health Services in Los Angeles With Dr. Judi Goldstone
What are the weight loss and health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet? The diet and weight loss industry is larger than ever and shows few signs of slowing down. That is despite the fact that every other article written about weight loss refers to “diet” as a word that deserves to be stricken from use. Of course, they don’t really mean that. The goal is to make you believe that all of the other diets out there are harmful and exploitive, except for the one they are about to tell you about. So, what is the truth? Do diets work? Is the next one destined to fail like all of the others have? Yes. And, no. Diet, as a generic term, means “habitual nourishment”. When we try to manipulate those habits we end up with a specific diet. Whether a particular diet can promote weight loss depends on a multitude of factors. Simply, this means that it can work for some people for at least some period of time. Experience tells us that the vast majority of diets designed for losing weight do not work in the long run for most people. What can and does work is changing the way we eat. Some people can do that on their own, but most of us can greatly benefit from professional guidance. If weight loss were easy, obesity wouldn’t be growing at the rate it is. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) more than one-third (36.5%) of adults in the U.S. are considered obese. Contrary to what was taught for so long, there is a lot more to weight control than exercise and cutting calories. There may be metabolic issues, like hormonal imbalances, as well as other factors, like environmental toxins and stress that make it difficult, if not impossible, to lose weight. This is where professional help, including in-depth testing and analysis, can make a huge difference.
Consulting with a health and nutritional professional will also help you find the diet that works for you. You may benefit from a monitored quick-loss start that then transitions into a long-term, even lifelong, way of choosing foods that not only contributes to weight control but also overall health. The Mediterranean diet is exactly that kind of diet. Some of the characteristics of this kind of eating include:
Primary focus on plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts
Use of healthy fats, like olive oil and canola oil
Replacing salt with a variety of herbs and spices
More fish and poultry and far less red meat
Reducing alcohol, allowing red wine in moderation
Plenty of exercise
Studies over the years have shown that following the cooking style of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea reduces the risk of heart disease, certain types of cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Recent research found that otherwise healthy older adults who followed the Mediterranean diet lowered their risk of dementia by a third. According to the lead author of this research project, Claire McEvoy, of the University of California, San Francisco’s School of Medicine, “Eating a healthy plant-based diet is associated with better cognitive function and around 30% to 35% lower risk of cognitive impairment during aging.”. At the Southern California Center for Anti-Aging, we know how important nutrition is to health and well-being. Weight control is extremely important but our bodies must be well-nourished in order to function well and keep our immune systems at the ready. Once we have diagnosed your particular case through carefully administered lab tests, we prescribe the diet, or combination of diets, that we know will address your issues. To learn more about the Mediterranean diet or any of our services, take advantage of our Free Consultation by clicking here to use our convenient online form.
What are free radicals and can they be controlled through nutrition? How an atom behaves is determined by the number of electrons found in its outermost shell. When the outermost shell is full, the atom is considered to be stable, which means that it will tend to not engage in chemical reactions. Atoms with missing or an odd (unpaired) number of electrons, making them unstable and highly reactive, are known as free radicals. These unstable atoms are often formed when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. Once formed, an atom with a missing electron will try to stabilize itself by stealing an electron from a nearby neighbor. This theft leaves the victim short an electron, thereby creating a new free radical, which will, in turn, look for somewhere to steal an electron, creating a huge chain reaction called a free radical cascade. The end result can be extremely damaging to the affected living tissue. When the body is healthy and receiving proper nourishment, this normal process of cellular activity does not pose a threat, because there will be a sufficient supply of antioxidants to replace the missing electrons and control the free radical cascade. Unfortunately, our modern diet and lifestyle is anything but healthy. The result is a literal bombardment of toxins, as well as other sources that contribute to the generation of free radicals, such as stress, pollution, unhealthy lifestyles, elevated cholesterol levels and high blood sugar levels. Combine any or all of these with poor nutrition and the body is simply unable to compensate. Over time, this leads to oxidative stress and inflammation, which are believed to be major precursors of age-related diseases and cancer. Symptoms of Free Radical Damage
The damage associated with free radicals has a wide range of symptoms. Some of the more common ones include:
Fatigue
Muscle and joint pain
Sinus issues
Headaches
Intestinal issues
Sleep problems
Difficulty concentrating
Food cravings
Water retention
Trouble losing weight
Skin problems, including rashes, eczema, psoriasis, canker sores and acne
Puffy, dark circles under the eyes
Premenstrual syndrome
Bad breath
Antioxidants, which are molecules that can inhibit oxidation, are the body’s natural defense against free radicals. Their job is to scour the systems of the body and neutralize the free radicals before they have the opportunity to do damage to the cells. The body does produce antioxidants, but things like poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, aging and a list of other factors all deplete its supply, requiring external sources, like fruits and vegetables. Without antioxidants, the damage to the body can be severe, including cancer, heart disease and stroke, as well as all of the horrors of aging, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and senility. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the National Institutes of Health, antioxidants play three roles in preventing the tissue damage that results from free radicals. These are:
Suppressing the formation of free radicals
Scavenging active free radicals to break the chain reaction stage
Repair by promoting their decomposition
At the Southern California Center for Anti-Aging, we know how important nutrition is to health and well-being. Our bodies have to be well-nourished in order to function well and keep our immune systems at the ready. Once we have diagnosed your particular case through carefully administered lab tests, we prescribe the diet, or combination of diets, that we know will address your issues. To learn more about free radicals and the role of antioxidants or to discuss any of our services, take advantage of our Free Consultation by clicking here to use our convenient online form.
Should people with cancer stock up on or avoid antioxidants? The general public first started hearing about antioxidants and nutrition in the 1990s. These powerful substances, contained in many fresh fruits and vegetables, were said to be able to protect the cells of the body from unstable molecules known as free radicals. Scientists were looking at the effects of free radicals, which are produced when molecules within the body lose electrons to electrically-charged molecules of oxygen in the blood stream. When this happens, there is the possibility of damage to cellular DNA that, over time, can become permanent and lead to disease. Researchers were studying a correlation between these free radicals and the development of chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cataracts. Some studies showed that people who ate plenty of these fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants were at lower risk for developing these chronic conditions than were those with low intakes of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. Age-related conditions were of particular interest. The process in which free radicals are produced in the body is called oxidation and is one that occurs naturally for everyone. There needs to be a balance, however, because too much oxidative stress is what leads to these chronic illnesses. As we age, the body’s ability to moderate oxidation becomes less effective. This makes the role of a diet rich in free radical-taming antioxidants especially beneficial for combating age-related diseases. Antioxidants became the super heroes of the supermarket. There will always be those who will never eat enough kale and spinach to satisfy the recommended consumption of antioxidant-containing fruits and vegetables so supplement makers recognized a new market and rushed to fill it. It’s quite possible that the claim that antioxidants can help prevent cancer is the biggest selling point. Unfortunately, further research has uncovered a twist to this story that is of particular importance to anyone diagnosed with cancer.
Should Those with Cancer Stock-Up on Antioxidants or Avoid Them?
It is hard to imagine that leafy green vegetables, like broccoli, kale, spinach, and mustard greens and brightly-colored fruits like blackberries, cranberries and blue berries could be anything but good for us. And, when it comes to preventing cancer, that is true: they are an important part of a healthy, cancer-preventing diet. Unfortunately, when cancer cells have already been identified in the body, that changes. A series of studies over the past several decades show that antioxidants can actually accelerate cancer progression. When the immune system detects precancerous cells, it goes to work to deal with them. Antioxidants can actually suppress the signals that activate this process, allowing the damaged cells to grow. Confusing? Absolutely. Antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables are key components in some of the healthiest diets in the world. A prime example is the Mediterranean diet, which is recommended by many healthcare professionals for its role in preventing many serious and chronic diseases. No one is recommending we stop eating antioxidant-containing foods. There is a growing awareness, however, of the possible danger to those diagnosed with cancer. Medical research is making new discoveries every day, and the final chapter to this story has yet to be written. As is so often true, it is important to be informed and to have regular check-ups and consultations with healthcare professionals that you trust. At Southern California Center for Anti-Aging we recommend diets that will help you to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, rid your body of excessive inflammation, prevent disease and slow the aging process. We also have a variety of dietary supplements, vitamins and minerals available. Your treatment is tailored to remedy defects we find in your lab tests, such as vitamin or mineral deficiencies, presence of excessive fatty acids, oxidative stress markers, inflammatory markers and free radicals. To learn more about antioxidants or discuss any of our services, take advantage of our Free Consultation by clicking here to use our convenient online form.
Hormones and Weight Loss Part 1: Estrogen Hormones
Why is it so difficult to lose weight around and during menopause? At these times, weight gain becomes more common and feels different than weight gain at other times of life. Pounds are easier to gain, harder to lose and show up as love handles, belly fat and/or cellulite. In addition, the usual methods of dieting and exercise don’t work anymore. Sometimes, weight loss difficulties have nothing to do with diet and exercise.
When it comes to hormones and weight loss, things like nutritional imbalances, chronic inflammation, metabolic issues, leaky gut, toxins and even genetics can cause weight loss issues. However, for women in perimenopause and menopause, the difficulties are most likely due to hormonal imbalances. It becomes almost impossible to lose weight. This is of course until hormones are replaced and balanced. Hormone fluctuations in perimenopause and menopause directly impact appetite, fat storage, and metabolism. The causes of hormonal weight gain and resistance to weight loss in menopause and perimenopause are explained below. The first important hormone to know about is estrogen.
Changes In Estrogen Levels and Weight Loss Difficulty
One cause of weight loss difficulty around and during menopause is the changing and fluctuating of estrogen levels. The ovaries produce more estrogen relative to progesterone during this time but levels of both these hormones start to decrease dramatically. The body will find other sources of estrogen. Since fat produces estrogen, the body will increase fat production to make more estrogen.
Avoiding Weight Gain and Estrogen Dominance
Too much estrogen (estrogen dominance) can be due to dietary issues such as excess sugar, refined carbs, alcohol and red meat, and low fiber intake. Too many antibiotics damage the gut leading to estrogen spikes because the body can’t properly detoxify or excrete waste. Environmental toxins such as phthalates and biphenyl A mimic estrogen in the body. They bind to sites that estrogen normally does. Furthermore, excess estrogen can cause the following:
Cellulite
Weight gain in the hip and thigh areas
An increase in breast size and tenderness
Fluid retention
PMS and Irritability
Fibroids
Heavy periods
Ovarian cysts
Estrogen dominance can be controlled by limiting red meat, alcohol, and cutting way down on sugar and carbs. Getting your estrogen level evaluated and balanced by a physician specializing in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can help alleviate these serious symptoms. In addition, balancing estrogen has lifelong benefits for health including the following:
Losing and maintaining weight loss
Preventing bone breakdown
Aiding with mineral absorption
Keeping skin hydrated
Helping regulate menstrual cycles.
Estrogen is also important for the health of the brain, and cardiovascular system.
Hormones and Weight Loss Part 2: How The Insulin Hormone Affects Weight Loss
During perimenopause and menopause, some women notice it becomes more difficult to lose weight and easier to gain it. Weight is not distributed the in the body as it was in younger years. Thus, body shape can change subtly or drastically, with love handles, abdominal, breast and arm weight appearing. Fat in these areas is an indicator of hormonal imbalance, which, in large part, is due to the hormone insulin.
WHAT ARE THE FUCNTIONS OF INSULIN AND HOW IS IT MADE?
Insulin, produced in the pancreas, regulates the digestive system by facilitating the break down and conversion of food into energy. Another major function of insulin is to regulate and stabilize blood sugar levels. All food eaten is broken down into proteins, nutrients, and glucose for use in metabolism. Insulin processes glucose (the body’s key fuel source) in the bloodstream and carries it into cells to be used as fuel. Once cells have received enough glucose, any excess gets stored as fat.
INSULIN RESISTENCE & TYPE 2 DIABETES
Chronically high levels of insulin can lead to a pre-diabetic condition called insulin resistance and possibly even type 2 diabetes. Insulin levels rise in almost all women during menopause due to the hormonal imbalance triggered by changes in estrogen and progesterone. Elevated insulin levels can also be triggered by a high sugar, high refined carbohydrate diet, excessive alcohol as well as lack of exercise, stress, high blood pressure and/or a family history of diabetes.
When a woman is insulin resistant, she is producing adequate amounts of insulin but her body is not responding to it normally. Thus, Glucose is less able to enter the cells. The pancreas detects this excess glucose and increasingly pumps out insulin to push the extra glucose into the cells. Because insulin is unable to facilitate pushing glucose into the cells, excess levels of glucose build up in the blood and get stored as fat. Because this process deprives body cells of energy, a stressful situation in created leading to craving for sweets, carbohydrates, and further weight gain.
Anyone can become insulin resistant, but as just illustrated it is more common in women during perimenopause and menopause. The best way to treat insulin resistance and begin losing weight is through lifestyle changes. Below are a few suggestions:
Keep glucose levels stable by eating 5-6 mini meals/day with protein and complex carbs at each meal. Proteins and complex carbs are harder to digest and keep blood sugar and insulin levels stable.
Don’t skip or delay meals because this slows metabolism and will cause glucose level to drop below normal.
Eliminate white food such as bread, pasta, and sugar.
quit smoking, limit alcohol, and get 7-8 hr. sleep/night.
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The latest diet craze has many women and men injecting themselves with a substance that suppresses the appetite. It is so effective doctors say you can lose up to one pound a day. But not everyone believes it’s safe. Inside her El Segundo home Karen Coran injects herself, plunging a needle into the folds of her stomach.
“You make sure that the syringe doesn’t have any bubbles in it… Inject the needle straight in,” dieter Karen Coran said while demonstrating how she prepares her injections.
She is not a drug addict or a diabetic — she is an extreme dieter.
“I’ve done Lindora, I’ve done Weight Watchers,” she said.
She tried almost everything. At 5 foot-3 inches and more than 250 pounds, she was considering lap band surgery. “I was frustrated, because it seemed like my body, no matter what i did, wanted to hold on to the weight,” Coran said.
Then her doctor told her about the HCG Diet. HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone used for fertility treatments. It’s found naturally in the bodies of pregnant women. Some doctors believe HCG tricks the body into pulling fat from the body while suppressing appetite.
Dr. Judi Goldstone weighs in on The HCG Diet Craze
“Have you ever seen anything that works this well?” I asked Dr. Judi Goldstone.
“There was so much patient demand. They were calling asking if i did it. I started researching it and I tried it. And I was just shocked by how phenomenal the results are,” Goldstone said.
She now has 20 patients on HCG. Most of them are women, but she says it works just as well for men.
Patients on the HCG diet are restricted to 500 to 800 calories a day. The diet is limited, consisting of plenty of protein with some fruits and vegetables.
“I’ll get tomatoes and strawberries, which are great this time of year,” Coran said.
Doctors say that many patients lose a half pound to a pound a day for the first six weeks. Because the caloric intake is so low, doctors actually urge their patients not to exercise.
“Is there ever a point where the patients are losing too much weight and too fast?” I asked the doctor.
“Yes. I’ve said no you have got to maintain your weight for the next week,” Goldstone said.
A typical lunch consists of three ounces of chicken, a few strawberries and a piece of lettuce.
Opponents say that eating like that of course dieters will lose weight. They warn it can be dangerous, causing vitamin deficiencies or other serious health problems. “It’s risky to get injections of a substance one a week,” said Dr. Sharon Orrange, an internist at
The Doctors of USC, who specializes in women’s health. HCG first became popular as a diet drug in the U.S. in the 1970s. But recently it has exploded on the Internet. Dozens of websites advertise pharmaceutical or homeopathic HCG.
More About HCG
HCG is FDA approved for fertility treatment, but not for weight loss. To get it, you need a prescription from your doctor. If you buy it without a prescription over the Internet, there is no way to determine what is really in the product.
“I think the FDA will perk up and I know they have in the last couple of weeks and start to really cut down on what’s sold on the Internet,” Orrange said. Dr. Orrange recommended asking yourself the follow questions before starting any extreme diet.
Is it nutritionally adequate?
Has it been researched?
Is this diet sustainable?
Coran says that with the help of her doctor, she is starting her second phase of the diet.
“A diet is sort of a personal thing. What works for me may not work for you or somebody else,” Coran said. She hopes to lose another 30 pounds in the next few weeks.
“I’m not where I need to be yet, but I know I’m on the path and I know I can continue the journey and get to where i need to go,” she said.
The HCG Diet costs almost $400 for a six-week treatment and it is not covered under insurance since it is considered preventative health.
For More Information on the HCG Diet:
Judi Goldstone, MD Southern California Center for Anti-Aging Anti-Aging Medicine Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Medically Supervised Weight Loss 23823 Hawthorne Blvd. Torrance, CA. 90505 (424) 247-4962 phone (310) 375-1120 fax
