Gluten Free Diets for Patients Without Known Celiac Disease

There are some athletes and people in general who claim they feel better avoiding gluten. (GLUTEN is a protein found in wheat, rye barley etc that can lead to inflammation in the intestinal tract if you have an insensitivity to it. CELIAC patients will often complain of very non-specific symptoms, like gas, bloating, diarrhea, etc and the diagnosis can be be very difficult to make unless one actually thinks to order the appropriate tests.
The question is: Does it help to avoid even if you are not allergic to gluten?
Well, no answers. Just anecdotal results. There is no science supporting avoiding gluten and please remember gluten free products are often high in fat, sugar and salt.

Examples are gluten free grains:
Amaranth
Brown Rice
Buckwheat
Kasha
Corn
Millet
Oats
Sorghum
Quinoa
Teff.
 
Gluten containing grains:
Barley
Bulgur
Durum
Farro
Graham
Kamuf
Rye
Semolina
Spelt
Wheat
If you would like to try a gluten free diet just to see if it improves energy, decreases headaches or just plain makes you feel better, please consult with our dietitian,Patricia for more information.

Kaizen Total Wellness
11505 Palmbrush Trail
Lakewood Ranch, FL (941)556-7788

Here is an unedited article from FOX News about exercise. We have made many changes in our practice concerning our approach to exercise and fitness over the past 3 years for our patients’ benefits.
Yes. all programs are supervised by Dr. Mishner and staff.
Yes, we have a dietician.
Yes, we have in house physical therapy.
Yes, we have massage therapy.
Yes, we have certified fitness trainers using our in house gym consisting of state-of-the-art low impact fitness equipment that is exclusive to Southwest Florida.
Yes, we are seeing incredible results.
Yes, some programs may be covered by insurance.

Exercise making its way to doctors’ prescription pads

So, your doctor told you to exercise, giving you what many physicians are recommending nowadays, “walking” orders” or an “exercise prescription.”
There is a reason he or she advised you to not be sedentary and begin a fitness regimen. Exercise has been proven to prevent injury and ward off disease.
The latest research documenting these benefits was reported by the Centers for Disease Control last week and featured in an article by Associated Press writer, Mike Stobbe, who wrote: “A government survey found nearly 33 percent of adults who saw a doctor in the previous year said they were told to exercise. That was up from about 23 percent in 2000.”
The CDC study reported that diabetics were among the most likely to get these orders than others with chronic conditions. Ladies, women also received this advice more than men according to the organization’s research.
The survey consisted of 22 thousand adults in the United States with many receiving recommendations to get moving, regardless of their age. “The most dramatic — and surprising — increases were reported in patients age 85 and older. In 2000, about 15 percent were told by doctors to exercise. By 2010, almost 30 percent were getting such a recommendation.”
The CDC said that in addition to “reducing the risk of chronic health conditions,” exercise has many other benefits as well, “Engaging in regular physical activity can reduce medication dependence, help maintain functional independence, and improve the quality of life for older adults.”
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) took this advice a step further in a separate study reported last year. Their research proved that in addition to the exercise prescription a counselor would also see better results overall and improved vital signs. “Research showed that patients who were given a tailored exercise prescription and behavior change counseling program by their family physician, rather than an exercise prescription alone, had a higher level of fitness and physical activity and lower systolic blood pressure.”
The lead author of the study, Dr. Robert Petrella, was also quoted on the ACSM site stating, “To really make an impact, patients need a personalized exercise plan or a recommendation to a qualified professional who can guide them along the way.”
As a trainer who has worked with many who have received these recommendations to exercise, I suggest starting off on a plan in a physical therapy setting if you have a chronic orthopedic or heart condition. That way, you can be sure you’re doing what is safe for you.
If you qualify for physical therapy the next step would then be to bridge into working with a personal trainer. A good personal trainer will do an entire health history evaluation and assessment. From there he or she will discuss your goals with you, guide you and of course motivate you.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/02/23/exercise-making-its-way-to-doctors-prescription-pads/#ixzz1nXATmIlQ

Potatoes seem to be a particular culprit for weight gain and diabetes. A recent study from Harvard School of Public Health that  tracked the diet and lifestyle habits of 120,000 men and women for up to  20 years looked at how small food-choice changes contributed to weight  gain over time. People who increased their consumption of french fries gained an extra 3.4 pounds every four years and those who ate more baked or mashed potatoes gained 1.3 pounds. People who decreased their intake of these foods gained less weight, as  did people who increased their intake of other vegetables.   Potatoes don't count as a vegetable on Harvard's new Healthy Eating Plate,  and with good reason: They are very high in the kind of carbohydrate that the body digests rapidly, causing blood  sugar and insulin to surge and then dip. The scientific term for this is that they have a high glycemic load. 

Potatoes do contain important nutrients--vitamin C, potassium, and  vitamin B6, to name a few. But the potato is not the only source of  these nutrients, nor is it the best: Cup for cup, for example, broccoli  has nearly nine times as much vitamin C as a potato, and white beans  have about double the potassium. Yet a cup of potatoes effects blood sugar in much the same way as a can of Coca Cola or a handful of jelly beans.  That's a high metabolic price to pay for nutrients that you can easily get from other sources.  

Other good substitutes for the side dish to accompany your lean protein are Basmati rice, chic peas, cauliflower (which can be mashed and seasoned just like potatoes) or quinoa. Email our This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. :  for quinoa recipes.

We are proud to announce the e-publication of "The Kaizen Method to Living a Healthy Lifestyle: Easy Steps to Better Eating and Exercise Habits to Help You Lose Weight and Feel Great" by our director Barbara Bingham, a Master Certified Life Coach. It is available for download at amazon.com OR by on our website (for free!)

About the book.....

Proven in Japanese management for decades, "kaizen" can be used to turn your health challenges into joy and energy-filled success. Dietitian and Life Coach Barbara Bingham shares the science and the savvy to guide you through a small-step approach which always works when you wish to exchange an unhealthy habit for a healthy one. You can create an entirely healthy, energy and joy-filled lifestyle, one step at a time, no matter what your current physical condition, attitude or age. This is the program approach used, along with Dr. Harvey Mishner, at the popular Kaizen Total Wellness Center in Sarasota, Florida. You won't find any deprivation diets, gimmicks or task-mastering in this book; you will discover how to use a notebook, specific tips and tools to master a healthy lifestyle, and maintain it effortlessly.

A national magazine recently announced the results of research and published a list of "2011 Healthy Food Awards."
Boar's Head Black Forest Brand 25% Lower Sodium Smoked Ham received this award.  Have you noticed that Boar's Head has really made some changes?  They created an entire program for eating healthy which utilizes their products, many of which have been adjusted to lower the fat, sodium and calories.  The launch of the program "Deli-tritious" has their employees nationwide learning from a course created by a Registered Dietitian and the whole company seems to be becoming more health conscious.  The altered culture of the organization goes hand in hand with their brand redefinition: Shopping at the deli counter can provide healthy AND delicious choices... if you say "Boar's Head".  The 'all-natural' and lower sodium items are actually excellent choices.  Our dietitian and Corporate Wellness Director, Barbara Bingham, is now Certified through Boar's Head on the Deli-tritious program.  There are hundreds of recipes and menu planning ideas which fit nicely with the Kaizen Total Wellness and Venice Nutrition Programs we teach our patients and corporate clients.

Barbara R. Bingham, MCC, Director
Kaizen Total Wellness

There are some athletes and people in general who claim they feel better avoiding gluten. (GLUTEN is a protein found in wheat, rye barley etc that can lead to inflammation in the intestinal tract if you have an insensitivity to it. CELIAC patients will often complain of very non-specific symptoms, like gas, bloating, diarrhea, etc and the diagnosis can be be very difficult to make unless one actually thinks to order the appropriate tests.
The question is: Does it help to avoid even if you are not allergic to gluten?
Well, no answers. Just anecdotal results. There is no science supporting avoiding gluten and please remember gluten free products are often high in fat, sugar and salt.
Examples are gluten free grains:
Amaranth
Brown Rice
Buckwheat
Kasha
Corn
Millet
Oats
Sorghum
Quinoa
Teff
 
Gluten containing grains:
Barley
Bulgur
Durum
Farroceliac
Graham
Kamuf
Rye
Semolina
Spelt
Wheat
If you would like to try a gluten free diet just to see if it improves energy, decreases headaches or just plain makes you feel better, please consult with our dietitian, Annette for more information.

www.kaizentotalwellness.com   941-556-7788

www.drmishner.com   941-747-2090

Kaizen Total Wellness®  Center Director, Barbara Bingham, a dietitian and health coach says exercise IS a way to cut down on salt, and here's why:
 
Researchers report that the more physically active you are, the less your blood pressure rises in response to a high-salt diet.  Investigators compared study participants' blood pressure on two 1-week diets, one with low sodium content, one with high.  The most physically active group were the least salt-sensitive, i.e., their average systolic blood pressure was least affected when they went on the high salt diet. The American Heart Association recommends consuming less than 1,500 mg/day of sodium.  If you are eating restaurant food and packaged food from the grocery store, you are getting more than a healthy amount of sodium even if you never use the salt shaker at home.  Add in more physical activity and keep your cardiologist (and body) happy.

www.kaizentotalwellness.com / www.drmishner.com

Kaizen Dietitian Barbara Bingham discusses the question of wild versus farmed fish.

I choose 'wild-caught' fish and shrimp because of research I've seen which found toxins, antibiotic residues and other disease-controlling drugs in fish and shrimp raised in extremely crowded farm conditions. If large quantities of chemicals were not used the farm fish would die.  (Thailand and other Asian farms are more dangerous than domestic conditions.)  As well as these substances ending up in the fish or shrimp you eat, the farm contaminates surrounding waters, fresh or ocean.  Because of concern about overfishing (which has threatened many species) some people assume eating farm-raised salmon, for example, is a way of protecting the wild population.  However, it takes several pounds of feed fish to produce one pound of salmon. The net result of salmon farming is greatly accelerated depletion of the numbers of fish in the oceans. Besides, farmed salmon has less flavor, less protein, and more fat than wild salmon, and its content of omega-3-fatty acids is not quite as high.  Look at your seafood counter or on the label of frozen products and it will clearly say "wild" or "wild-caught'.

www.kaizentotalwellness.com / www.drmishner.com

The Kaizen approach to eating means no "dieting". Diets simply do not work to develop a healthy, sustainable body weight.  Diets are, by definition, temporary vs. long-term changes in eating behaviors, the only method which helps you gradually achieve your desired weight and keep it.  However, we all know that nothing is more popular in our culture than the latest fad diet. Many are dangerously restrictive or imbalanced and you should check with a dietitian or doctor before starting an extreme diet.  One of the most popular diets we have found which is not extreme, and is relatively healthy and effective for those looking for a short-term plan, is the South Beach diet.  The best part of that plan is it encourages removing refined sugar from your diet.  This should be a goal and permanent intention for anyone.   If you stick with their recommendations, you could also benefit from eating less saturated fats -- which you should avoid to help raise your 'good' cholesterol and lower your 'bad' cholesterol.   One problem with South Beach is that the first-phase menus are so restrictive they can lead to rapid weight loss, followed by relief-binge eating and rapid weight gain.  Often called yo-yo dieting, this process is very unhealthy and hard on your critical body systems.  Also this initial weight loss can be mostly water or even muscle mass.   It is much better to eat more of a variety of foods in smaller portions and thus avoid nutritional deficiencies.  Call the Kaizen Wellness Center (941-556-7788) if you would like a one-time complementary pass to attend the Kaizen Healthy Lifestyle Class, next Monday, 6 -7 p.m. at Dr. Mishner's office in Lakewood Ranch.   One of the topics will be the South Beach Diet. 

Kaizen Total Wellness nutritionist Annette Shuchert was a featured speaker at the open house Thursday evening at Che Bella.

Annette showed how spending just a little more time reading the nutrition information on food labels can help us make important distinctions and much healthier choices.  For example, the healthiest looking skin is the most hydrated skin.  So in addition to drinking at least eight bottles of water each day, spaced throughout the day, we should pay attention to counter-hydration ingredients like sodium.  Even diet coke and yogurt have sodium we don't think about! 

80% of total salt intake comes from salt added to processed foods by manufacturers and salt that restaurant food preparers add.

The Nutrition Facts label on foods contains the amount of salt, listed as “sodium.” Generally, you should not have more than about a teaspoon of table salt, or 2300 milligrams of sodium a day – remember the ‘sodium’ on the label is listed in ‘mg’ and refers to the amount per serving.

If you are in a category of people more sensitive to sodium levels, the guideline is to consume no more than 1500 mg a day. This could be appropriate for people with high blood pressure, African Americans, people with kidney disease, diabetes, or those over 50.   Some medical conditions alert doctors to recommend even lower amounts.  

Healthy Substitutions was the nutrition topic discussed in Monday's Healthy Lifestyle class. The Kaizen approach is not about deprivation, it is about making choices that will help you get your optimum nutritional value out of each calorie.

Smart substitutions are ones that provide more 'good stuff' like fiber and vitamins and less 'bad stuff' like saturated fats and sugar. The smartest substitutions do this without making you feel you are missing out on anything, like flavor, texture, or sense of fullness.

Here are some of my favorite substitutions. Please share yours with me!   

• For vegetable oil called for in a baking recipe, substitute the same amount of unsweetened apple sauce.
• Instead of mayo, use guacamole (healthy, home-made) on a sandwich. 
• Instead of grits with poached eggs, have half a piece of whole grain toast and ¼ cup black beans.
• Rather than M & M’s, have a few Emerald's cocoa roasted or cinnamon almonds.
• Instead of sugar for iced tea, use stevia and fresh mint leaves.
• Rather than lettuce for sandwiches or salads, use raw spinach and/or arugula.
• Use no-sodium chicken stock to make soup and spice it with pepper or cilantro.
• For a change from broth soups, use unsweetened almond milk to make it ‘creamy’.
• Instead of granola crumbles, add sliced almonds to yogurt or cereal.
• Use cinnamon instead of brown sugar to top oatmeal.
• Dip apple slices into natural peanut butter or almond butter, not caramel.
• For 2/3 of the usual amount of lean ground beef when making meatballs or hamburgers, substitute ground turkey breast and rolled oats.
• For the bread crumbs needed to make crab cakes or salmon cakes, substitute half the amount with whole grain bread crumbs or crushed original Fiber One cereal,  and half shredded raw zucchini.
• Make a gallon of orange Crystal Lite to keep in the fridge instead of orange juice.
• Instead of the usual cocktail, make a mixed drink with club soda, diet cranberry juice and lime wedge.
• Cut an apple into small chunks, sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice and stevia then microwave 2 min. and ‘dessert’ is ready.
• Marinate chicken in buttermilk instead of high-sodium marinades - very tenderizing! 
• Instead of a butter or cream sauce for fish, make a mango salsa, Kaizen's recipe for Georgia Relish, or other interesting fat-free topping.
• Use plain yogurt and a variety of seasonings instead of sour cream and salt to make dips.
• Wrap your hors d'oeuvres like cantaloupe bites with smoked salmon instead of prosciutto.
• Peel and core an apple, then cut across into ½ rings to use as a ‘bagel’ for lox and fat-free cream cheese.
• Blend a smoothie with skim milk, vanilla whey protein powder, diet root beer and ice and you’ve got a ‘Root Beer Float’.

Monday's Healthy Lifestyle class offered new information about what to eat, and not eat, to lower risk of heart disease or stroke, reviewing my 'Ask the Dietitian' article in February's Living Out East Magazine. http://www.livingouteast.com/digital/LOEOB_February_2011. We reviewed food labels on packages... so tricky! 

     Annette Schuchert  http://www.kaizentotalwellness.com/about-us   also led a lively discussion where the participants learned about the four questions to stop and ask yourself when you reach for food, especially an unplanned snack.  1. Am I hungry?  2. Is this what I feel like eating? 3. Is this what I feel like eating now? 4. Is there something else I could eat instead?   (from The Writing Diet: Write Yourself Right-Size by Julia Cameron, bestselling author of  The Artist's Way.

 This really helps us be more mindful, more conscious of what we 

are putting in our mouths and bodies.   Ask the questions gently. 

For one week, keep a journal handy and write your answers. 

   http://www.kaizentotalwellness.com/nutrition

Annette Schuchert is a Registered Nurse and dietitian working with our Total Wellness Program.  She’s the one who guides the grocery store tours and is a regular facilitator of the Monday evening support group.  What you may not know about her is that she is a marathon runner!  Here’s her story of her most recent exploit.

"It was a cold start to the Disney World Marathon, 43 degrees, but much warmer than the 29 degree start last year!  Actually, a perfect day for running.  There were over 17,500 runners at the start, with a little over 13,500 finishing.  Myself, being one of those.

I completed the 26.2 miles in 4 hours, 12 minutes, a little slower than last year but still very pleased with my time. I had to overcome some injuries, so I was extremely pleased having an overall finish in the top 25% of runners.

Although I had some self doubt at about mile 16, I was able to talk myself out of it.  I can honestly say my Kaizen wellness class helped me through... whenever I thought I couldn't continue, I thought of them and knew I wanted to tell them I finished, not that I had to quit.  We talk every week about overcoming obstacles and I knew I needed to give myself some positive self talk to continue. I want to be a good role model for them, and want to make them proud.  My mind in the end was able to overcome the tiredness my body felt, and the self pride I had when crossing the finish line is the most wonderful feeling in the world.

I can't wait to do it again next year!  If anyone would like to join me, feel free!  "