Nutrition: May 2008

Do you ever wonder what is causing you to feel lightheaded when you wake up in the morning? How about the source of those achy joints and muscles? Take a good, hard look at your diet? Is it serving you? Often, poor nutrition is the root of our ailments and can often halter the progression, while alleviating symptoms of chronic disease.

As a registered dietitian/nutritionist, exercise physiologist, and registered yoga teacher, I have been serving the metropolitan Detroit area, since the mid 1980’s. With the recent release of my DVD, Reconnect with Food…Unplugged! and the revival of my co-authored book, Nutrition Secrets for Optimal Health, my nutrition clients now span the United States and abroad of serious individuals who take pride in their nutritional health. In my columns ahead, I hope to bring you relevant nutrition information that can help you feel your best, while slowing down the aging process.

In the coming issues of Health & Leisure Magazine, we will explore the many nutritional implications and recommendations for wellness along with disease prevention and treatment. Since this issue is devoted to Women’s Health, let’s take a look at a few relevant women’s health issues and how they can be improved through a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Menopause, PMS and Heart Disease

Since the late 1960’s, menopause has been treated as a disease that must be treated by hormone replacements (synthetic estrogen alone or in combination with synthetic progesterone which is called “progestin”). Hormone replacements have also been used as a heart disease preventive measure in women. As time evolved, natural alternatives to synthetic hormone replacement therapy have come to the forefront which have offered women much relief from the symptoms of menopause without the unwanted side effects of hormone therapy, including the increased risk of breast cancer.

As an adjunct to these natural alternatives, foods themselves are a great place to start if you are trying to keep your heart healthy and achieve menopause symptom relief or even Premenstrual symptom (PMS) reprieve. Although many women are still looking for a pill—even a “natural” pill to find benefits or relief, those who are truly committed to a lifestyle change can try incorporating new and healthy foods into their diet. For instance, soy products (tofu, soymilk, soy meat substitutes) contain substances called phytoestrogens, which can work like estrogens in the body. However, phytoestrogens are not nearly as strong as the estrogens found in synthetic replacements, so they do not cause side effects.

It is thought that soy can regulate estrogen levels in both pre- and post-menopausal women, while helping the body eliminate toxic substances that can be implicated in cancer growth. Women who consume a good quantity and variety of natural soybean products report fewer hot flashes and other menopausal discomforts than women whose diet consists of large amounts of meat and dairy. Soy products can also help to lower your cholesterol, which in turn can keep your heart and circulatory system healthy.

Bone Health

Flaxseeds can protect against bone loss as they contain a significant amount of “lignans.” Several studies show that lignans protect against osteoporosis by preventing bone loss and increasing bone density. Flaxseeds are small, flat and brown in color with a nutty flavor. They can be ground into “meal” in a coffee grinder, or purchased ground, and sprinkled on your cereal in the morning or mixed into yogurt. You can also use flax oil, found in the refrigerated section of health conscious grocery store, and mix with balsamic vinegar for your salads.

Magnesium along with boron helps to transport calcium to the bones in order to aid in the prevention of osteoporosis. If you take a calcium supplement, calcium citrate is the most absorbable form of calcium as this form of calcium creates an acid environment in the digestive tract to more efficiently absorb calcium. Magnesium is found in bananas, bran cereal, brown rice, lentils, peanut butter, spinach and walnuts, while boron is found in purple grapes, pears, apples and leafy, green vegetables.

Fibromyalgia and Other Rheumatoid Conditions

A poor ration of omega-3 fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids can increase your risk of immune and inflammatory disorders including rheumatoid arthritis. Studies show that individuals with autoimmune conditions in the rheumatoid family such as lupus, fibromyalgia, scleroderma, arthritis and multiple sclerosis fare better eating less meat, dairy, and processed foods, with more emphasis on whole grains, fruits and vegetables as eating lower on the food chain provides a higher ratio of omega-3 fatty acids which aid in improving joint pain. In addition, a poor ration of omega-3 fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids can increase your risk of heart disease, cancer.

A fairly new finding is that flair-ups of rheumatoid conditions, especially fibromyalgia, can be linked to food sensitivities discovered through Mediator Release Testing (MRT). MRT measures the release of chemical mediators from white blood cells and platelets in response to specific foods, additives or chemicals that are not due to an allergy. A simple blood test can determine your food sensitivities, while nutrition counseling by a registered dietitian trained to interpret this test can help you feel better and also lose those pounds that you cannot seem to shed no matter how hard you try. It could be that your hidden food sensitivities are getting in your way of progress!

Depression

The consumption of omega-3 fatty acids can also affect your mood. Researchers who have analyzed epidemiological studies of several countries suspect that when smaller amounts of omega-3 fatty acids are consumed, the rates of depression increase. This is one more reason to include rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet—your happiness may be at stake! Specific sources of omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish, soy, flax, walnuts and green, leafy vegetables.

In addition, yoga, meditation and other stress management techniques are also very important in the daily self-care of women today. Health professionals need to take a look at so many of the natural remedies available to women as they reach different milestones in their lives.

If you have topics you would like Beverly to cover in this column, please send your inquiry to editor@healthandleisureonline.com

Fibromyalgia: What You Need to Know

Perhaps you can sleep 10 hours a day and still feel wiped out. Then when you do finally wake up, your body aches all over even though you aren’t showing any signs of the flu. These two symptoms are hallmark features of fibromyalgia, a chronic rheumatologic condition that affects approximately 5-8 million Americans, most of them women.

Sharon Ostalecki, Ph.D is the founder of Helping Our Pain and Exhaustion or H.O.P.E., an organization dedicated to providing support and education to those with, or affected by, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. She is also the author of Fibromyalgia: The Complete Guide from Medical Experts and Patients.

Diagnosed with fibromyalgia 18 years ago, Ostalecki created this organization as way to inform and empower others with this condition.

“If you have fibromyalgia, you must be proactive in your care,” says Ostalecki, who has become an advocate working towards a greater awareness and more thorough understanding of this disease through her organization which is hosting a fibromyalgia conference in May.

What It Is:

Fibromyalgia is characterized by muscle, tendon and ligament pain, fatigue, insomnia and tender spots, which are places on the body that are acutely sensitive to slight pressure. Other common symptoms are headaches, depression, irritable bowel syndrome and facial pain.

According to the National Fibromyalgia Research Association, fibromyalgia is the second most common rheumatologic disorder following osteoarthritis and it is the number one cause of severe, generalized, musculoskeletal pain even beating out back pain.

The organization also estimates that it takes five years for a person to be properly diagnosed. This is in large part due to how new this diagnosis is to modern medicine. Therefore basic information about this condition, including causes, risk factors and treatments, is still evolving with doctors, researchers and patients at the forefront of this movement.

Screening and Diagnosis:

Since there is no specific test for fibromyalgia, the condition is often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. A variety of blood tests and x-rays can rule out other diseases like multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis, but they do not confirm a diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

Recently, The American College of Rheumatology established guidelines for diagnosing fibromyalgia. The individual must have widespread pain for three months and must have 11 points along the body that are tender spots. But many physicians disagree with these classification guidelines and find them too rigid.

Risk Factors:

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are five primary risk factors for fibromyalgia. They are:

• Sex – Females are more likely to have fibromyalgia than men

• Age – The condition typically occurs in early to mid adulthood.

• Sleep Disturbances – Those with sleeping patterns interrupted by restless leg syndrome, muscle spasms and sleep apnea are more likely to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

• Family History – Those with a relative with this condition may be more apt to have it.

• Rheumatic Disease – Being diagnosed with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis also increases chances of having fibromyalgia.

Treatment:

There is no cure yet for fibromyalgia. It is a chronic condition that needs to be managed by the individual through medical means and lifestyle behaviors. Drugs such as antidepressants, painkillers and muscle relaxants work to decrease the pain and improve sleep. Lifestyle modifications include eating a healthy diet, reducing stress, exercising and getting enough sleep.

Many suffers who have been recently diagnosed are referred to physical therapy programs to ease pain and improve mobility skills. Loren DeVinney, P.T., is a physical therapist in West Bloomfield who specializes in working with individuals with fibromyalgia. His treatment program uses three modalities of therapy to help the individual relax muscles, improve strength and posture and relearn how to move safely.

Therapeutic ultrasound, heat and electrical waves first mellow out bound-up muscles. Soft tissue massage then coaxes and coddles the muscles to relax further, breaks up knots and improves circulation in and out of the muscle. Finally, gentle stretching exercises are performed to improve flexibility and strength.

Yoga and massage can be important therapies as well but they can also re-injure the already tender and knotty muscles of the individual, says DeVinney, who cautions his patients against going to certain kinds of yoga classes or massage therapists who are not trained in working with fibromyalgia cases.

Alternative Treatment:

Many sufferers of fibromyalgia have benefited from receiving acupuncture, the Chinese medical technique that involves inserting tiny needles in specific locations on the skin to rebalance and redirect the life forces that circulate throughout the body. A 2006 study performed by the Mayo Clinic found that acupuncture significantly improved symptoms of fibromyalgia. Other forms of complementary treatment include chiropractic care, massage and osteopathy.

Additional Support:

Fibromyalgia can be a very frustrating and debilitating condition for those who are directly affected by it including loved ones. As awareness increases both in and out of the medical community, more research and more support will start to glean insight into how this condition manifests and how it is best treated. The good news is that with numerous organizations focused on education, support and funding research, an individual diagnosed with fibromyalgia does not have to cope with their condition on their own.

On May 13, H.O.P.E. will be hosting Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, a one-day conference at the Courtyard Marriott in Farmington. The organization also holds monthly support meetings around the Detroit area. For more information visit H.O.P.E.’s website: www.hffcf.org