Archive for the ‘Weight Loss’ Category

Difficulties of being a DOCTOR who gives a RIP.

Saturday, November 14th, 2009

OK…DR.Greenbean is on her soap box again.

I went into medicine to “help people” as I bet 99% of all new med school students do. I decided to really help people you have to listen to them, really hear them and their story. I became a naturopathic physician because naturopaths are trained to do this “listening” the best. I am very science-driven and don’t do anything to weird so I guess I am a green-allopath of sorts but one thing I do with every patient is give them the time to share their story and I listen. (my office visits are 45-90 minutes long)

I get very attached to my patients. We form friendships and a tight bond. That being said, my heart and soul are sometimes tested. When a patient ends up with a cancer, illness, or even a personal problem it causes my heart to ache and sometimes to second guess what I have done with them as a doctor. I try my best to prevent disease and illness in everyone I see but sometimes the path is already laid or genetics are a bitch.

I do a weight loss program (hcg diet) at my office that the general public can do without being a “patient” of mine. All they want is the quick weight loss solution and they couldn’t careless about prevention and health (not EVERYONE is like this). I am finding I can’t stand that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I have managed to gain several FABULOUS patients who have done the hcg program and want to continue the journey to good health.

I guess what I am trying to say is that for a doc like myself to enjoy what they do and feel adequate we need good relationships with our patients. Our patients must WANT to heal and be healthy.  Getting to know my patients, their stories, their families, their dogs, their sex life etc…is the BEST part of my job. I care about YOU…please remember I am being the best DOCTOR I know how to be and that I still am an emotional bitch too!

rgds

Dr.GB

SOBs (stressed out bitches)

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

Are you an SOB (stressed out bitch)? Well, are you a mother? Are you a wife? Do you work your ass off all day to come home to another “job”? Are you ALIVE? Then you are an SOB. Woman today do so much, we run around like a squirrel on crack from sun-up to sun-down and then we want to curl up a die. But wait, you crawl into bed (finally) and then your spouse whispers “do you want to get it on?” Jesus Christ. Literally, we pray he either dies a sudden death or we do.

Well, SOBS, we all have stress in our life, no matter how perfect your little universe is. Stress affects us at a cellular level and changes our internal chemistry. After awhile, all these changes cause our adrenal glands to give up on us. I am not going to bore you with the science of it all…instead I am going to tell you the signs of adrenal fatigue and then what we can do about it. You might always be a SOB but you will feel good doing it!

The symptoms of adrenal fatigue or stress-induced-exhaustion are as follows: 

Weight gain around the middle or hip area

Fatigue

Sleep disturbances

Depression/Anxiety

Low blood pressure

Low blood sugar

Changes in skin pigment

NO libido (sex drive)

Menstrual irregularities

Sensitivity to caffeine or other chemicals

Allergies

Basically, you just feel like shit and you don’t know why!  If you go into any doctors office in the world and complain about the above they might test your thyroid, check for anemia, and then probably suggest an anti-depressant as treatment. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! That really cracks me up and pisses me off. Treat the cause not the symptoms people.

So let’s talk treatment…SOBs have to take charge of their own health to change it!  We can’t get rid of stress but we can make our body tougher and more resilient to it.  The results of treatment are slow but over time you will feel better and your body chemistry will change.  Here are the treatment options I lay out for my SOBs:

1.  Lower your cortisol (stress hormone) whenever you can.  Whether that means breathing for 5 minutes, a massage, exercise, reading after the kids are in bed, drinking (no, just kidding), just relax and take some ME time.

2.B-Stress Complex–one or two per day with food.  I give a liquid B-Stress formula that is like rocket fuel…it works! I have it as a product for sale on the site.

3.B5–I recommend an extra B5 per day.

4.Adrenal glandulars/herbal combination–I like a combo product that is POTENT. I use ADR and do 2-4 caps/day

5.Omega 3 oils–2000-3000mg/day (fish is best)

6. If testing (saliva is what I use) reveals a high cortisol at night—Seriphos (phosphatidyl serine) 2 caps/bedtime

7.If testing reveals low cortisol all day, I do prescriptive cortisol 2-4 times per day. This has to be prescribed by a qualified physician….

8. DHEA– 10-25mg/day if testing reveals low levels

9. Anti-oxidant support–resveratrol, Vitamin C, Vitamin E

10. Diet–Whole foods (which means no crappy processed food–lean proteins, fruits, veg, whole grains)

11. Magnesium citrate–500-800 mg/day

I promise that if all you SOBs make a committment to change by doing some of the above your body will love you for it. You will age slower, you will feel better, you will lose weight, you will SURVIVE!  I, personally, treat my adrenals every day with my basic supplementation/wellness guidelines and then do more aggressive treatment once or twice per year to keep my stress in check. I may still be a SOB but atleast my body is reacting healthfully to the stress.

rgds

dr.gb

THE EXERCISE MYTH TICKS ME OFF!

Monday, August 17th, 2009

I sit here in awe of American obesity.  I went to Target yesterday and watched 4 chubby teenage girls try on bathing suits…enough is enough! I write this soap box blog in light of the TIME magazine last week…the cover had the article title in big bold letters “THE EXERCISE MYTH”..

I read the article and about blew my top. The argument in the article is that exercise makes us hungrier so most will eat more on days they exercise…hence negating weight loss.  There are bunches of studies in the article which are fascinating but exercises benefit to the body is never really mentioned.

Doesn’t everyone know that in order to lose weight you have to eat less and move more! It is pure physics people! So if I burn 300 calories at the gym and then get a protein smoothie at the snack bar that is 400 calories is my workout not worth it? Well, technically yes…prob won’t lose much weight on that plan BUT the benefits to your body are still worth the workout. Your muscle mass will go up (which burns more calories than fat mass), your cardio system is stronger, your lungs are stronger, you got a nice serotonin boost, you will sleep better at night, you will feel better about yourself, and your energy will be better.  WHAT WAS THAT ARTICLE TRYING TO DO TO US fat AMERICANS?

Another thing the article said was that people who go to the gym for an hour per day tend to then be lazy or sit at a desk the rest of the day. I guess not working out at all would help those who work at a desk all day???? Wrongo.  Any amount of movement is good….really good.

As I stared at those chubby teenage girls, I grew angry with America…why do we encourage fatness. Our food is pathetic, our attitude stinks, our diabetes and heart disease kill, our depression meds make billions, but yet exercise is just a myth.    Please, please encourage exercise and good eating habits in your kids, your partners, your coworkers,  your family, and most importantly YOURSELF! Together we can make America healthier and trimmer!

Sexy Green Bitches

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

Alisha, my office manager, and myself think this should be our slogan…I need to get t-shirts printed with SGB on the front.  Alisha always seems to have a jug of “green smoothie” with her and it has rubbed off on me…we VitaMix a variety of greens with fruit, maybe some ice, maybe some salba seed and …hello sexy green bitches! Our green mustache rivals anything milk could do and it is stylish too… (see my favorite smoothie recipe below)

I love the way the country is turning more GREEN. From sustainable agriculture, to wind power, to recycling , and even to green smoothies. I have heard it a number of times since this time last year that “I want to try something different for my healthcare”…even the GREEN health movement is here! I am getting lots of new patients who want to prevent illness, do anti-aging medicine, love alternative medicine but want a REAL doctors advice. I do pap smears, annual blood work, allergy testing, bio-identical hormone testing/balancing, physicals etc…but my philosophy is to treat naturally.

I am even getting referrals from mainstream MDs that have deemed me competent I guess. This is great news for medicine…truly integrative health care. Although I am a bit fearful of the healthcare reform issues…all we can do is wait and see what the tigers figure out.  In the meantime, enjoy life, health and happiness…and heck, even a green smoothie. 

Dr.J

Smoothie recipe #1:  Add ingredients in this order and blend 1-2 minutes until smooth…I add ice cubes to chill.
2 cups water     3-4 leaves of kale (2 cups chopped)     1 peach    1 green apple   2 tbsp of salba seed (chia seed)  

1 scoop of GREENS first powder (sold in my store)

Weight Loss success…rewarding for you and the physician.

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

What is the single most important thing that determines health? Well, I will tell you it is not genetics, best doctors, luck, or anything other than…………..A HEALTHY WEIGHT.  What does that mean?  If you believe in BMI’s then it means a healthy BMI for your height…If you are like me, I think it depends on how you feel and percentage of fat on your frame! I know some curvaceous gals that love their bodies and their labwork is perfect….their BMI is a bit high but who gives a rip….self-confidence is also key to good health. 

I have been doing weight loss stuff for 10 years in my practice. I have recommended everything from anti-candida diets, to liver detox, to low carb, to low acid, to you name it…I have done it. I get so sick of people not losing weight or losing then gaining it back!!  How frustrating! 

It truly is physics…calories in and calories burned. I can’t watch what each client puts in their mouth and monitor exercise through a nanny cam….I have wanted to at times.  For example, I had a gal that wanted (and needed) to lose 15 pounds. It would help her blood pressure and her ability to fit into her wardrobe. She did a diet diary for me and I found several interesting things. First, skipped meals…Second, a smoothie for breakfast that was atleast 600+ calories (that was half her calories for the day and she didn’t even eat anything yet). After fine tuning her “I eat healthy” diet, she lost 15 pounds and thought it was miraculous. I do believe some people just don’t have a clue what they are actually putting in their mouths. She also said she exercised 6 days per week….I learned that she did yoga, walked a few miles here and there, and worked in the yard (none of these are true cardio exercise to burn calories or fat). Yes, any activity burns calories but if you are trying to lose weight you need to up the “burn factor” .

I have been prescribing HCG to my clients for the last 2 years. It is a strict diet with hormone injections. Sounds crazy but it is based on research from the 1940’s….It is a detox, a hypoallergy diet, and best of all it fricking works. It lasts 6 weeks so it isn’t overwhelming to commit to, it is very cut and dry, and  it is a heck of a jump start! I have had several people lose over 100 pounds (in multiple sessions) and many others lose 25-40 pounds the first session.

What amazes me is that peoples personalities change after losing weight and feeling empowered. My formerly frumpy fat moms are now sassy hot bitches! My chubby men clients are now masculine chic magnets. (All of this of course is in the head of the beholder…again self confidence ROCKS!)   This weight loss stuff, no matter the diet, is the most rewarding thing for me as a physician…..I bet for YOU as a patient too!

Please check out my weight loss section on the site!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DR.GREENBEAN is ALIVE and WELL…the first blog!

Sunday, May 17th, 2009

I am sitting in the morning sun and typing my first blog for Dr.Greenbean.com….unusually I am at a loss for words. Actually it is not a loss, but a feeling of having too many thoughts to choose from for the first entry. I might as well just let her rip…..no time like the present.

With the state of the world as it is, I feel the need to share POWERFUL knowledge to keep people sane. I have practiced as a physician for 10+ years and become more frustrated at the medical community as I go along. We need to try to keep people healthy and center on wellness rather than hand out pills for symptoms and treat diseases as they show up. I HATE that mentality!  I mean, come on, if we prevented obesity we would prevent most heart disease and diabetes……..but instead we wait until people are “large Marges” and then treat with drugs to ward off death.

My site is designed to let people search the blog archives or the site and find their particular imbalances. There are products that can help each issue ailment listed or discussed. The products are pharmaceutical grade (you can’t just buy those at the store) and designed to help the body heal itself. Maybe together we can help your body back to balance and prevent disease down the road!

So if you are sick and tired of being sick and tired get your mind open and search the site for help. The only person that can help you is YOU!  Please check back daily for new entries as the site is brand new and will expand exponentially over the next few months.

GET OFF YOUR DUFF and LIVE!

RGDS–Dr.Greenbean