Health — News and Articles

Nearly 3 out of 4 adults and teens may be deficient in the “sunshine” vitamin. Deficiency risk increases with age, skin pigment, and limited sunlight exposure, and is also associated with diabetes, kidney disease, obesity, and inflammatory bowel disease or other gastrointestinal disorders — such as fat malabsorption. Current daily intake recommendations (400 IU to 600 IU) are primarily based on bone health, and it has been suggested that higher levels may be necessary to maintain optimal physical function, muscle strength, and other health functions. Several health organizations and nutritional councils are expected to provide revised guidelines for higher daily intake soon. Several doctors and researchers suggest that the average adult body utilizes 5,000 IU of vitamin D daily and this is a good amount to take if you are not able to get in the sun.

A good source of vitamin D may be hard to find. Our bodies manufacture vitamin D₃ when skin is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet-B rays — which can be blocked by both windows and sunscreen. Vitamin D is found naturally only in a few foods (e.g., fish, eggs). That’s why products like milk are vitamin D-fortified, sometimes with the less absorbable vitamin D₂ form. Dietary supplements are often recommended, but vary in quality and may be made from vitamin D₂ or D₃. The activated form of vitamin D is D₃ therefore supplements utilizing this form may be 3 times more effective than D₂ at increasing vitamin D levels in the body. The supplement delivery form and manufacture may also influence absorption potential, so it’s just as important with this “basic” vitamin to seek higher quality for maximum benefits. After all — it may impact your quality of life down the road!

Optimum Vitamin D levels are always achieved when you get the right amount of full sun exposure without blocking the UVB rays. The body has the mechanisms for producing the exact amount you need and destroying any excess when you get your vitamin D thru sun exposure. The key is to never allow you’re self to get sun burned. Ideally you should expose as much skin as possible to the sun just until the skin is a light pink. For some this will be 5 minutes and for others and hour or more. If you are very dark complected it will be difficult to see a slight flushing of the skin tone so pay attention to how the skin is feeling and how much time you have been in the sun. Remember, it’s important to not be in the sun to the point of burning. If you need to be out longer, then cover up with lightweight clothing that shades the body or use a natural sunscreen that utilizes a physical blocking element such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide obtained naturally from clay and beach sand.

Are you getting enough vitamin D₃? Call the office today to set up an appointment and we’ll discuss.

^† Note: Too much vitamin D can cause abnormally high levels of calcium in the blood and eventually damage bones, soft tissues, and kidneys. It’s important to monitor vitamin D levels in the blood with any high dose supplementation.

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Unfortunately, many conventional approaches for blood sugar control may also cause gastrointestinal discomfort — such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, gas, and indigestion — and increase the risk of bone fractures and coronary heart failure. That's why many health experts recommend exercise and healthy eating habits — such as eating a low-glycemic-load diet (high fiber/low sugar) — and targeted nutritional support more than ever.

Touchi extract may help control the glycemic response. For centuries, a fermented soybean extract known as touchi has been used in food preparation in China and Japan. Preliminary laboratory and clinical research suggests that a concentrated dose of touchi extract before meals may help reduce the glycemic response in diabetic individuals — minimizing the rise in blood sugar.^† And, best of all, it has an excellent safety profile with no reports of serious adverse events or stomach discomfort. Along with the other blood sugar managing product we have available, we now have a new product Glucorest, which incorporates the Touchi extract. Other botanicals that are available for managing blood sugar are; maitake mushrooms, Bitter melon extract, gymnema sylvestre leaf extract and nopal cactus.

If you’re interested in learning more about nutritional and lifestyle therapy programs, along with a bio-impedance analysis that provides a benchmark of your body’s composition to help you manage your blood sugar, then please contact the office today to set up an appointment.

Glucorest and other products can be ordered from Dr. Burklee or purchased thru our website by going to the “order online” on our home page and clicking on drburklee.com.

^† Further research in non-diabetic humans is needed.

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EPA/DHA consumption may be the key for healthy aging. The strongest evidence for EPA/DHA intake is for supporting heart health and reducing risk of serious cardiac events — and is recommended by the American Heart Association. EPA and DHA also have anti-inflammatory effects and may be suggested as adjunctive therapies for autoimmune disorders like inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis (to relieve joint stiffness/tenderness). These omega-3s have also demonstrated benefits in helping reduce age-related macular degeneration and dementia to promote healthy aging. Preliminary studies are also showing promise in supporting a positive mood.

How much EPA/DHA is right for you? Depending on your health goals, concentrated doses of EPA and/or DHA may be recommended, here perhaps more than anywhere else, is where supplement quality really counts due to public warnings about consuming polluted marine life.

Choosing the best EPA/DHA for you. The primary source of essential fatty acids (EFA’s) is from cold water fish, but for those that are vegetarian or vegan there are plant sources of the EPA/DHA fatty acids available. Most are obtained from flax seed oil, but marine plankton has been used as well. The thing to keep in mind when using flax oil EFA’s, is that they are not as concentrated as their animal counterpart. To get the same equivalent of two 700 mg soft gels of fish oil you will need to take 10 to 12 times that volume of flax seed oil. The plankton derived is comparable to the fish based oils but due to the difficulty in processing does cost more.

We have available high quality EPA/DHA supplements that fit your needs. They are available in both capsule form or liquid, vegetarian or animal based oils. Please call the office today if you have any questions about what’s right for you or to place an order. (949) 673-8088 extension 6. Also take advantage of our Special Offer below.

Spring into summer!

During the month of May take 10% off the cost of chiropractic adjustments. To schedule an appointment call Dr. Burklee at extension 6#.

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You can prevent and reverse sarcopenia. Muscle loss begins around age 40. After age 50, there's an average half-pound muscle loss and a 1-lb. fat gain yearly. But healthy lifestyle choices can reverse this dangerous decline. Eating low-glycemic-load foods and regular physical activity supports a healthy body composition. The glycemic load of a food is how quickly the sugar of that food elevates your insulin and resulting blood sugar levels. To increase heart and lung capacity exercises should be of high intensity (high heart rate) and low duration (10 to 20 minutes). Increasing endurance is done with long, lower intensity workouts maintaining your heart rate with in its ideal aerobic training range. Need ideas? Dr. Burklee can set you up with a high/low intensity workout program that can last 4 to 15 minutes a day.

Stay lean the right way. There are lots of lifestyle programs on the market, but not all of them live up to their promises. In fact, some may result in weight loss from muscle break down rather than fat loss. This is the danger of doing your long endurance building workouts at too high of a heart rate.
Establishing a reliable baseline is key to monitoring your success. At Integrated Wellness we are able to provide you with an accurate body composition through the use of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) testing. This test allows you to monitor your body fat and lean muscle mass and see exactly where your weight loss is occurring. Many times you may feel discouraged because you’re not seeing a significant weight loss but on examination of your BIA results you could see that you actually lost fat and gained lean muscle mass, reversing sarcopenia and increasing your youthful body composition.

Nutrition and healthy eating habits are also essential to maintaining an ideal body composition, high energy levels and the proverbial fountain of youth. Foods with a low glycemic load, such as vegetables and proteins, are a great place to start but there is much more to consider in a nutritional program. Dr. Burklee can guide you to select foods that pack the most nutrition and antioxidants, and knowing if you need additional supplementation or not.

If you'd like help finding a program to help delay the onset of sarcopenia and promote healthy aging, please contact our office today to set up an appointment. All therapists are trained on the use of the BIA machine. Tracey is also a personal trainer and can help you with a personalized exercise program. Dr. Burklee can customize a nutritional program that works with your lifestyle and help you determine if additional supplementation is needed.

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Get even more targeted support for a healthy mind with DHA. DHA helps support the normal, healthy development of the brain, eyes, and nerves, which is why it's recommended for pregnant and nursing mothers and children. DHA is also the most prominent essential fatty acid in the brain — by many thousands of times over EPA. So it's no surprise that preliminary evidence suggests that higher levels of DHA (but not EPA) are associated with a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Related research suggests that DHA supplementation may help maintain healthy cognitive function in aging adults, developing children and everyone in between.

Higher concentration = greater DHA support. A concentrated DHA supplement (offering a higher ratio of DHA to EPA) may be a very strong weapon for building a healthy defense against many common age-related symptoms and conditions. Dr. Burklee is able to order concentrated EPA/DHA oil that provides 1200mg of DHA in each serving. These oils come in either fish oil or a vegetarian, phytoplankton derived oil for those that are vegan. These oils have a 14:1 and 24:1 ratio of DHA to EPA.

Exercise is also an integral part of a strong mind and preventing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Certain exercises have been shown to be very beneficial in maintaining and building cognitive abilities. These exercises include things that require eye / hand coordination and moves that require thinking or calculating. Two examples of such exercises are; playing ping pong or learning how to ballroom dance.

Dr. Burklee has questioners to help evaluate your brain chemistry needs. If you'd like to know if concentrated DHA (or another blend of omega-3s including DHA) is right for you, and are interested in Omega 3 oils that don’t have that “burping repeat” effect, then please contact Dr. Burklee today to set up an appointment or place and order.

For training and exercise routines our Tracey Thompson is a personal trainer and can help you with a personalized program.

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Natural, effective relief for menopausal symptoms

Finding effective hot flash relief can be a tricky decision. Up to 80% of menopausal women suffer from hot flashes that can profoundly affect quality of life. While hormone therapies (HT) may offer effective relief, they may carry a greater risk of stroke, blood clots, and certain hormone-sensitive cancers. To manage this risk, HT is generally only recommended in low doses for short-term use in postmenopausal women. And natural therapies, while typically safer, vary in dependability and success. But there are some exceptions: a special botanical extract of rhapontic (Siberian) rhubarb root called ERr 731®, prescribed in Germany since 1993 is now available in dietary supplement form here, regular exercise and a diet low in simple carbohydrates.

Get safer menopausal hot flash relief that performs comparable to hormone therapies. For peri- and postmenopausal women, using the ERr 731 phytoestrogen approach has demonstrated long-term, safe use without any reported serious adverse effects associated with the formula. In a 12-week clinical study, average daily hot flashes decreased from 12 to 2. In fact, researchers suggest that ERr 731 use is as effective as an ultra low dose of HT for reducing hot flashes. Other symptoms including anxiety, irritability, physical/mental exhaustion, and sleep disturbances have also shown significant reductions in clinical studies. And women report noticeable improvements in just 4 weeks at 4 mg daily.

Exercise and diet are key in maintaining natural hormone balance. The human body is built for movement. Every system in your body including hormone balance works best when you exercise and stretch. Estrogen is made and stored in fatty tissues, obese women tend to become estrogen dominate and insulin resistant, meaning that sugar is not being removed form the blood and being utilized properly. This sets up imbalances in the adrenal glands, which affect the reproductive organs and hormone balance. This is why exercise and a balanced diet low in simple sugars are so important.

Integrated Wellness can help find an effective relief for your menopausal symptoms. Dr. Burklee can guide you to a diet that maintains your sugar balance, energy and hormones. Tracey Thompson, Massage Therapist, has been a personal trainer for years and can design a personalized an exercise program for you. Need stretching? Contact anyone of us and we will show you what and how to stretch.

Don’t let hot flashes hold you back. Get fast relief...and get back to life!

If you’d like to know more about natural, effective relief for menopausal symptoms, please contact the office today to set up an appointment at 949/673-8088.

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Before you lose the weight, lose the waste

Shedding unhealthy fat is a big step toward better health. However, you might consider getting “clean” first with a short metabolic detoxification regimen including the use of an infrared sauna. It could make a difference in how you feel, and help you meet your body composition and health goals even faster.

You are born with a certain number of fat cells, these cells store excess fat as well as environmental toxins. When the body is over burdened with to many toxins, it is very difficult for the body to shed the unwanted excess fat because of the release of toxins back into the body.

This may explain why some people reach a “plateau” and fail to make further progress in meeting their lean body goals. And why others develop symptoms associated with excess pollutants when they lose fat, dragging them down and making them feel worse...not better.

Clear the path for a cleaner, leaner you.

Use of an infrared sauna works to detoxify the body as well as promote the healing of tissues in addition a brief “detox” diet (often 10 days or less) using scientifically tested nutrients to support your body’s metabolic detoxification process can be set up for you — to help it catch up with any overload and keep you feeling good. Both methods help remove obstacles that stand in your way of getting leaner and healthier.

At Integrated wellness we can set up a short metabolic detoxification regimen incorporating the use of the infrared sauna and a body composition program. Progress can be followed and monitored with our Bio-impedance testing. Need dietary assistance? Let us know. Please contact our office to set up an appointment. We’ll help you get cleaner, leaner, and healthier!

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Managing Your Stress

Stress is the root of many illnesses and bothersome symptoms. Everyone has stress, but it affects us differently. Stimuli (called stressors) cause the stress response to spring into action. Momentary stress can cause temporary tension or nervous energy, such as feeling wired, anxious, or hot. But a prolonged stress response can offset normal body maintenance and leave you weak, tired, or emotionally exhausted.

Your personal stressors and how you respond are unique. You don’t have to avoid your stressors — just use healthy ways to relieve or manage them. Here are a few tips:

Massage. Getting a massage is one of the best ways to manage your stress. It stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is designed to counteract the stress response. Massage will also bring healing blood flow to all the tissues of the body making it an ideal tool for stress management and staying healthy.

Be smart about “hand-to-mouth” responses. If stress makes you eat, then have healthy choices handy. Caffeine and nicotine can also increase stress.

Be active, exercise is a great way to relieve stress quickly; it also increases your heart and lung capacity and builds your immune system.

Rest and make time to relax — even in small chunks.

Meditation quiets the mind and takes your body and mind out of the stress fight or flight physiology.

Chiropractic. Stress creates tight out of balance muscles. This loss of balance pulls the bones of your spine out of alignment. Chiropractic restores the balance of muscles and bones to remove pressure from the nervous system. This is an ideal complement with massage, which releases the fascial adhesions and knots that develop.

Nutritional Support Can Help

Each stress response “type” has its own intensity, symptoms, and characteristics. Identifying these can help us recommend management strategies and targeted nutritional support, such as rehmannia, licorice, polygala, ginseng, holy basil, and other plant extracts. These herbal “adaptogens” can help balance the natural events of the stress response — to help you manage stress better

If you’d like to know more about targeted nutritional support for your unique response to stress, please contact Dr. Burklee to set up an appointment. She’ll design a program that fits your needs to help you take charge of stress. If you know that massage is what works best for your stress, please contact one of our massage therapists; Summer at ext. 3#, Marjorie at ext. 4# or Tracey at ext. 5#.

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Revving Up Your Immune System for Cold Winters

There’s an easier way to bolster immunity. We all know the basics for keeping our immune system strong in the face of all that winter can bring — eat healthy, keep hydrated, and get adequate rest. But there are also 4 other things you can do that go beyond basic immune protection.

1. Try a combination immune support formula. For core support, consider a formula that contains vitamin C (in a clinically tested, potent form), zinc, and a blend of mushroom extracts (including shiitake and maitake). All 3 approaches have been recommended separately for keeping your immune system running at peak performance. Together — in one convenient formula — they may offer a formidable ally against whatever blows your way.

2. Try a probiotic combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM^® and Bifidobacterium lactis BI-07. NCFM is one of the most researched probiotic strains. This combination of “good” bacteria was shown in a recent study in young children to significantly reduce the following (vs. placebo or NCFM alone): duration of fever, cough, and runny nose; days absent; and antibiotic use. That’s a pretty convincing argument for supplementing with these specific strains.

3. Another key factor to your immune system and a major fighter in the battle against bacterial and viral infections is vitamin D3. It’s considered the sunshine vitamin because it’s produced by your body when your skin is exposed to the sun. Provided you haven’t covered your skin with sunscreen, which actually blocks the synthesis of the vitamin. The proper amount of sun exposure for maximum vitamin D3 production is full exposure of as much skin as possible just until it is a very light pink. This will be different for every individual depending on the amount of melanin present in your skin. After that you should cover up and if you have to use a sunscreen use one with a physical block such as zinc oxide rather than the chemical screens. Your body actually uses much more vitamin D3 than what is listed in the RDA’s and when you are fighting a cold or the flu you need even more. One of the best ways to nip a cold or flu in the bud is, with the first signs of not feeling your regular self take a single dose of 1000 IU of vitamin D3 for every 3 pounds of body weight, do this single dose for three days in a row and you will stop bacteria and viruses in their tracks. I know that’s a lot but don’t worry it’s what the body needs at that time.

4. Last but certainly not the least in staying healthy throughout the cold a flu season is knowing that bacteria and viruses are sensitive to heat. That is why the body develops a fever when you get sick. It’s one of the bodies mechanisms of fighting the invasion. One of the things you can do to aide this mechanism is to go into an infrared sauna when you start to feel under the weather. The infrared wavelength not only helps the body to detoxify but it also penetrates the body taking the heat deeper than a regular sauna. This helps the body kill the invaders before they get a chance to multiply and grow. At Integrated Wellness we have an infrared sauna available for use, just call the office to schedule an appointment.

These comprehensive nutritional approaches for immune support and overall health are ready and willing to go to work for you today.

Prepare your immune system for the months ahead. If you’d like to know more about immune support, please contact my office to set up an appointment. Let’s stay healthy!

NCFM^® is a registered trademark of the North Carolina Dairy Foundation.

Leyer GL, Li S, Mubasher ME, Reifer C, Ouwehand AC. Probiotic effects on cold and influenza-like symptom incidence and duration in children. Pediatrics. 2009;124(2):e172-e179.

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Detoxification — the latest trend in good health

Feeling good is always in style — and now more than ever before. We live with environmental pollutants in what we eat, drink, and breathe. And the body is normally quite capable of removing these unwanted compounds we expose it to every day. But almost everyone could benefit from a little cleaning with a simple metabolic detoxification program. It can help your body catch up with any overload and keep you feeling your best.

You’ve probably heard about this latest “must do” ritual for the Hollywood elite. Because feeling good is just as important as looking good — and it’s a status symbol anyone can afford. Along with exercise and healthy eating, a metabolic detoxification program is an important part of living a healthier lifestyle. It may help increase energy and provide relief from a variety of symptoms that may be dragging you down — such as poor sleep, cloudy thinking, moodiness, pain, arthralgias, and other symptoms associated with chemical sensistivities.

Science-based metabolic detoxification that makes you feel like a star. There are a number of scientifically tested vitamins, minerals, and herbs that have been shown to help the body carry out the process of metabolic detoxification. So, forget the lights and cameras, but do take action and help your body deliver a rewarding performance: good health!

If you’d like to know more about metabolic detoxification and its health benefits, please contact my office to set up an appointment. We’ll design a program that fits your needs to help you feel better.

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Don't Let Inflammatory Bowel Disease Cramp Your Style

If you’re living with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, you’re painfully aware of how quickly a day can turn from “good” to “bad.” Just when you’re feeling confident about your health, a sudden flare up of cramps, diarrhea, constipation, or rectal bleeding can ruin a perfectly fine day.

Fortunately, thanks to the latest nutritional research, we now know that IBD can be effectively managed through a targeted medical food and dietary changes. And that potentially means a lot more good days are on the horizon!

You’re Not Alone

Being diagnosed with IBD may cause you to feel socially isolated. But take heart–you’re not alone! In the United States, more than 1 million people–mostly between the ages of 15 and 35–have been diagnosed with IBD. And every year, 30,000 new cases are diagnosed.

Managing IBD with a Targeted Medical Food & Dietary Changes

Traditionally, IBD is treated using steroidal medications or, in the most severe cases, surgery. However, targeted medical foods, in tandem with dietary changes, can help you effectively manage IBD.

Targeted medical foods. Certain medical foods (defined by the Food and Drug Administration as “prescribed by a physician when a patient has special nutrient needs in order to manage a disease or health condition”) contain key ingredients that can support the health of your digestive tract and immune system. These key ingredients can include:

• Reduced-iso-alpha acids (RIAA), a hops derivative with anti-inflammatory properties
• Low-allergy potential, readily-digestible protein and amino acids
• L-glutamine, an essential amino acid that supports the immune system and helps maintain a healthy gastrointestinal mucosa
• Turmeric (curcumin) and ginger, two spices that have long been recognized for their anti-inflammatory effects

Dietary changes. Because IBD affects your ability to absorb nutrients, it’s important to eat foods that are both nutrient-rich and non-irritating. This means making sure you’re eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and avoiding processed foods, foods that are high in simple carbohydrates and fats, or high fiber foods that can irritate the intestinal lining.

Don’t let IBD cramp your style! If you’re interested in dietary approaches to managing IBD, please schedule an appointment at my office. We’ll work with you to develop a personalized nutritional plan that includes a targeted medical food from a high quality source.

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Fun In The Sun

The days of summer are upon us with hot sunny afternoons and clear blue skies. We have been told for years that to be safe in the sun you must cover yourself in sunscreen and there is no such thing as safe sun exposure. You have been told that sun screen protects your skin from sun damage and led to believe that it will also protect you from skin cancer. None of these statements are true. Lets begin by dispelling the myths of sunscreen and then I will share with you why the sun is you friend and not to be feared.

Sunscreen does not protect your skin from sun damage; it does the opposite by leading you to believe you can stay in the sun longer than is healthy. It promotes excessive exposure by preventing you from burning. The other myth, thou not stated directly, is that sunscreen will protect you from skin cancer. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Chemicals in the sunscreen do protect you from burning, but those same chemicals react with the sun to become carcinogenic compounds. That’s right, they cause cancer. The most feared skin cancer, due to its aggressive nature, melanoma, has not been found to be related to sun exposure. Often melanomas are found in areas that don’t get any or very little sun exposure at all, such as the bottoms of your feet. Compounding the problem of carcinogenic chemicals on your skin sunscreen is blocking your body’s skin receptors from producing vitamin D. This powerful hormone has been shown to fight and prevent 17 different cancers, breast, colon ovarian and prostate cancers just to name a few. Vitamin D is also the key to your bones being strong and healthy. We are all familiar with needing calcium to build strong bones, but calcium is useless with out Vitamin D working like a taxi service transporting the calcium from the digestive tract to the osteoblast cells of the bone for new bone formation.

So as you can see, sunscreen is not needed for safe fun in the sun and full sun exposure is actually good for you. What you do need know is how to play in the sun and not get burned. Your best sunscreen is a gradual, natural tan from being in the direct sun. The best way to accomplish this is to give yourself full sun exposure, front and back just until your skin is a little rosy and then get out of the sun, you never want to burn the skin. For some, the amount of time needed in the sun to reach that point will be very little, sometimes as short as five minutes on each side, for others they will need to stay longer. Gradually as your tan develops you can safely spend more time in the sun. For those circumstances when one is required to be in the sun for periods of time that are longer than they can safely handle, then the recommendation is to stay shaded as much as possible by wearing light colored and light weight clothing that covers the body, if protective clothing is not an option, such as the case may be for those doing long workouts outside training for and event like a marathon or iron man race then use a sunscreen with a physical block such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide rather than one with the chemical blocks that cause cancer. Our esthetician, Danielle has a natural zinc powder from Eminence that blocks the burning sun rays. This product is completely natural, has no harmful ingredients and is hypoallergenic. For more information on this product call Danielle at extension 2 or you can order the product directly on line at www.buynaturalskincare.com

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Winning Health - Heart Healthy Carbohydrates

(Eat up the good ones and say "goodbye" to the bad ones.)

American Heritage Dictionary:
carbohydrate (n.) — Any of a group of organic compounds that includes sugars, starches, celluloses, and gums and serves as a major energy source in the diet of animals. These compounds are produced by photosynthetic plants and contain only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, usually in the ratio 1:2:1.

Now, while the American Heritage Dictionary people obviously mean well, their definition of a carbohydrate (or “carb”) doesn’t do diddly-squat for you if you’re trying to plan a healthy meal. So let’s start with the fairly obvious and move along to the relatively useful: Carbs are food; a good source of energy, they provide the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other stuff critical to winning the health game.

There are two types of carbs: Simple and Complex. The good news is that simple carbohydrates include such yummy and delicious things as blueberries, bananas, passion fruit, and freshly squeezed tangelo juice. Berries, fruits, and juices made exclusively from berries and fruits are all simple carbohydrates and they are all easily digested and good for you. You should be eating two or three servings of nice simple carbs every day for optimal health. A serving is usually about one piece of fruit, one cup of berries, or one cup of juice. (If the fruit is really small, you can have more.)

You should be warned though, that simple carbohydrates are also in processed foods and foods that contain refined (white, brown, or even crystallized) sugar. Think donuts. There is absolutely no redeeming nutritional value to the beloved donut. It is a naughty, naughty food-like substance. Donuts, cookies, candy, Devil’s food cake, white bread, white potatoes (even if they haven’t been made into fries or chips), just about any breakfast cereal with a commercial, and white rice all have a high glycemic index. The glycemic index is the amount of sugar a food is pumping into your system. When carbohydrates are consumed, the body turns them into glucose or sugar. The more sugar gets pumped in, the more insulin your body has to produce.

As you eat the donut for breakfast, the burger and fries for lunch, and nibble on candy throughout the 3 o’clock slump, your blood sugar and insulin levels rise sharply. Excess glucose (sugar) is stored in the liver and muscle cells as glycogen. Glycogen is used for when your body needs an extra burst of energy (like when you push yourself past your personal best on a run). Leftover glycogen is turned into fat (like when you push past your buddy to get the last donut).

Making a habit of eating these naughty food-like substances will lead to insulin resistance, excess fat storage (probably in your thighs), energy so low you can’t even think about making love all night, and a seriously increased risk of chronic disease (can we all say "Diabetes"?).

So, to review about simple carbohydrates; if they didn’t come right off the tree or vine, they do not belong in your body.

The main difference between simple and complex carbohydrates is that complex carbs take longer to digest and have a lower glycemic index. Complex carbs are in veggies, grains, and legumes (don’t worry, I’ll tell you what a legume is in a minute).

So, eat all the green veggies you want. Cucumbers, zucchini, artichokes, salad greens, collard greens, bok choy, onions, garlic, and broccoli, you can even have as much eggplant as your little heart desires. These are delicious, nutritious, and when was the last time someone told you it was good for you to eat as much as you’d like of anything? You can eat them raw, steamed, or even in a nice stir-fry with just a tiny bit of oil.

Now a brief warning about carrots and butternut squash, they have a slightly higher glycemic index than their other vegetable buddies. So do not eat more than 1 cup a day. Eat it. Enjoy it. Just don’t overdo it.

Complex carbohydrates are also in fabulous foods such as grains. By grain, I mean whole grain wheat, barley, brown rice, wild rice, oats, rye, and the yummy stuff made with them. Who doesn’t love pasta? Whole grain toast anyone? Cholesterol-lowering oatmeal is extra yummy with berries mixed in. You only get to eat one serving (that’s just one cup, people) of grains each day, but it’s an important serving, so don’t miss it.

Last, but certainly not least, complex carbs are in legumes. Legumes are beans, lentils, peas, peanuts, and anything else that started out in a pod. You should be eating 2 servings of legumes each day. In this case, serving sizes vary, so check the package; but you’re looking at about 2 cups of legumes each day. Chili lovers may now scream with delight.

It’s official. You may eat a peanut butter and fruit jam (sweetened with fruit juice) sandwich on whole grain bread secure in the knowledge that you are eating 1 serving of legumes (complex carb), 1 serving of fruit or berries (simple carb), and 1 serving of grains (complex carb). You can wash it down with a delightful cup of cold raw whole milk, but we’ll talk more about that in our column about proteins.

Enjoy!
Dr. Elizabeth Burklee

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