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A Sneak Peak Into Two Case Studies

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A Sneak Peak Into Two Case Studies

   Here we are after the madness of the holidays, and I would like to share with you a couple of cases that Ihave seen in my office in the last month. I hope you can gain some insight for yourself and your family.

David

   David was referred to me by his physician for diabetes. His blood sugars were in the 400 range, and now when he thinks back, he ignored the symptoms of frequent thirst, urination, blurred vision, and dizziness. Please do not ever disregard these symptoms because if quickly taken care of, you can prevent diabetes. When I get a callfrom a frantic newly diagnosed diabetic like David, the first thing I always tellthem is to stop drinking juices, sodas, and smoothies.

   David is on the road as a salesman and says he felt that colas and juices kept his energy up. I explained to him that he has become addicted to the sugar in these drinks, and when his blood sugar drops every couple of hours,it spurs him to reach for another sugar laden beverage. David will now replace these beverages with sugar-free drinks such as Vitamin Zero.

   In order to go to the next step, I reviewed David’s food diary and could see he was not consuming anywhere near enough protein and fiber in his meals which helped to explain why he succumbed to the bad habit of resorting to sugar. I concluded he needed to eat more frequent meals, every few hours, that would be balanced with protein and fiber. This would help prevent his cravings for sugar.

   We discussed his likes and dislikes and came up with an initial plan. For breakfast he agreed to substitute his typical two slices of wheat bread and butter with two slices of 100%whole wheat bread and peanut butter, a serving of Kashi Go Lean cereal, or two hard-boiled eggs with a toasted 100% whole wheat English muffin with butter.

   He agreed to take in his car a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack of beef or turkey jerky, cottage cheese, or even a serving of almonds with an apple which is a low sugar fruit. For dinner he will keep his servings of starches to a minimum. Wefocused on a one-cup serving of brown rice, whole wheat couscous, whole wheat pasta, or legumes (like beans or lentils) which could be combined with two cups of tasty sautéed veggies with herbs and a serving of protein. I promised him that before long he would be able to have a couple of cookies and a glass of wine with dinner if he began a 30 minute morning and evening walking program. Walking burns excess sugar and always lowers your blood sugar.

   I am communicating with David every other day through e-mail and via phone and guiding him to make the best food choices. I have had fabulous results in the past with such a program, and I am glad to tell you that after working with David for a month his blood sugars are in the low 200’s, and we will continue working together to get them in the normal range.

Susan

   As a parent of a college-aged student, I advise you to take a keen interest in your child’s nutrition which often falls short. Susan, who was referred to me for weight loss and low energy, has a diet typical of students newly living off campus – a constant dosage of frozen pizza, bagels, and Top Ramen along with too much coffee and sugar.

   When I see this pattern unfold with my college students, one of the firstthings I do is educate them on how to read food labels for important facts such as protein, fiber, fat, and sugar content. After educating her, Susan and I went on a tour of Trader Joe’s and Safeway where I showed her some delicious, easy-to-prepare meal options that will provide the energy she needs to get through a demanding day. Based on Susan’s taste, we came up with several simple dishes she could prepare such as black beans with salsa, quinoa or whole wheat couscous with veggies and pot stickers, baked potatoes topped withbroccoli and cheese or chili, scrambled eggs with veggies and whole wheattoast, oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins, and chicken Caesar salads.

   Susan is very inspired by our work together and is now e-mailing me her food diary.We have also set up a schedule to talk on the phone every few days.I am glad to inform you that both of my clients were covered by health insurance.

If you are interested in a topic that you would like me to discuss please contact me and let me know.