Behind the Lines with Orriant Coaches (Part 2)

As stated in part 1 of our post, Orriant coaches often discuss relevant topics with one another for help with tackling crucial health issues or alarming trends. The following dialogue is another snapshot of a recent coach forum.

Topic of Discussion: Addressing the dangers of very low calorie intake with individuals who are seeing success in losing weight this way.

*Please note that identifying information is kept strictly confidential.

Health Coach Megan F. says:

It's hard when an individual is feeling great on a regime like this and they feel that eating this way is the ONLY way they'll lose weight. A big part of comes down to the fact that they aren't getting the calories they need each day. If you're eating only a few hundred calories a day you're probably going to lose weight, but it isn’t necessarily healthy weight loss.

I'll talk to these individuals about how your metabolism runs better with a constant fuel source. Using the word “metabolism” can be good because people associate a quick metabolism with weight loss. What I've also found will click with some people is

that with so little calories, our body has a hard time sustaining muscle tissue. Muscle is more metabolically active and burns more calories for us. This also means that it takes more calories to sustain muscle. If you are eating too little your body isn't going to get rid of body fat first. It’s harder to keep muscle so it gets rid of that first. While you are losing weight, you’re most likely losing a lot of muscle mass as well—effectively getting rid of your body's ability to burn calories and, in the long run, its ability to continue and maintain the weight loss.

Health Coach Janae D. says:

I have also found that along with talking about losing muscle, one thing that tends to make people think about restrictive diets is this: The brain needs at least five grams of glucose each hour to function correctly and have the energy it needs. One of the reasons why you are recommended to eat every three to five hours is to keep your blood sugar at the right level to feed your brain. Your liver can only store six to eight hours of glycogen to maintain your blood sugar. After that, your body has to use other methods of energy for your brain (e.g. ketones, which alter the pH (acidity) of your body, and in turn can have a negative effect on the health of every organ system).

Benefits of Quitting Tobacco

As soon as you quit smoking, your body begins a series of healing or recovery changes that will continue for years.

20 MINUTES: Your heart rate drops to a normal level.

12 HOURS:  The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.

2 WEEKS TO 3 MONTHS: Your risk of having a heart attack begins to drop. Your lung function begins to improve.

1 TO 9 MONTHS: Your coughing and shortness of breath decreases.

1 YEAR: Your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.

5 TO 15 YEARS: Your risk of having a stroke is reduced to that of a nonsmoker’s. Your risk of getting cancer of the mouth, throat, or esophagus is half that of a smoker’s.

10 YEARS: Your risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a smoker’s. Your risk of getting bladder cancer is half that of a smoker’s. Your risk of getting cervical cancer or cancer of the larynx, kidney, or pancreas decreases.

15 YEARS: Your risk of coronary heart disease is the same as that of a nonsmoker. 

Visit Orriant to find out more about wellness programs that can help you quit smoking!

Homemade Energy Bars

Ingredients:

Note: This recipe requires a food processor.

• 1½ cup raw or roasted almonds (or any nut will do)
• 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
• 1 cup dried apricots (dried fruits like cherries, cranberries, or dehydrated apples work as well!)
• 1 pinch sea salt:
• Optional add-ins include: lemon zest, lime zest, nut butter, or cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Line an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish with parchment or wax paper.

2. In a food processor, pulse the almonds until they are chopped (stop just before they start turning into nut butter). Pour them into a bowl.

3. Process the pitted dates, dried apricots, and sea salt until the dried fruits are mashed into a paste. They may try to ball up in the processor, in which case you’ll want to stop and break up the mixture with a spoon before continuing.

4. Break up the fruit mixture and add the nuts to the food processor. Process until the chopped nuts are incorporated evenly into the fruit mixture. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish, and use your hands to press it into an even layer.

5. Chill the baking dish in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, then use a sharp knife to cut the fruit and nut blend into squares or bars. Wrap each bar tightly for individual servings.

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Snippets of Success - A New 'Spin' on Life

"Snippets of Success" are brief glimpses into the successes of Orriant participants!

Exercise can be fun when it is something you enjoy and makes you feel good. That is what one employee from South Shore Medical learned after attending a spin class 3 days each week for the last month. She has tried a lot of different exercises and workout options throughout this year, and has now found something that she really enjoys. She said after completing a spin class she feels much better throughout the day and very accomplished knowing she burn more than 600 calories.

A healthy diet and calorie control is also a part of her daily routine. She is getting closer every month to her weight loss goal. After calling her health coach this past month, she got a few extra tips about the importance of weight training. She now plans to add some different weight training exercises to her routine to make sure she stays on track and makes her weight loss goal before her birthday. With her persistence and daily healthy habits, she’s got it made!

*Name changed or omitted to protect privacy.

Snippets of Success – A New ‘Spin’ on Life

"Snippets of Success" are brief glimpses into the successes of Orriant participants!

Exercise can be fun when it is something you enjoy and makes you feel good. That is what one employee from South Shore Medical learned after attending a spin class 3 days each week for the last month. She has tried a lot of different exercises and workout options throughout this year, and has now found something that she really enjoys. She said after completing a spin class she feels much better throughout the day and very accomplished knowing she burn more than 600 calories.

A healthy diet and calorie control is also a part of her daily routine. She is getting closer every month to her weight loss goal. After calling her health coach this past month, she got a few extra tips about the importance of weight training. She now plans to add some different weight training exercises to her routine to make sure she stays on track and makes her weight loss goal before her birthday. With her persistence and daily healthy habits, she’s got it made!

*Name changed or omitted to protect privacy.

Man’s Best Friend

You might be surprised at how big of a role your favorite animal can play in your health! Here are just a few ways your furry or slippery friend can benefit your overall well being.

• Pets are natural mood enhancers: Watching an animal can make a person feel less anxious and stressed. Cortisol (a “stress” hormone) lowers and serotonin (a “happiness” hormone) rises when observing a fish swim, a cat bat at a ball, or a dog sleep on the couch.

• Studies have shown that pet owners have lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides than non pet owners.

• Studies also have shown that pet owners have lower risk of dying from any cardiac disease, including heart failure!

• Since pets can offer a high dosage of unconditional love, will listen for hours, and typically will willingly take any attention or time spent with it, therapists often recommend getting a pet to combat depression.

• Individuals who own dogs tend to be more physically active; two 15 minute walks a day to take the dog out will cover the daily recommended amount of exercise.

• Pet owners tend to like to talk about their beloved companion, and often a pet is a natural conversation starter. This increase in human interaction and less isolation facilitates more socialization and is good for our mental and emotional health.

• Researchers have found that children who grow up around animals tend to develop less allergies and stronger immune systems.

• For diabetics, there are dogs who are trained to alert their owner when blood glucose levels drop dangerously low, reminding them to snack or alter medications.

• Children with ADHD benefit in owning and being responsible for a pet and maintaining a schedule.

• Emulating your dog or cat’s daily stretching routine will help arthritis and injury prevention while exercising.

• Animals are often used in therapeutic settings; horseback riding has been a very successful tool for stroke victims or individuals with limb limiting disabilities to stretch and give movement to stiff or unmovable bodies.

www.orriant.com

Behind the Lines with Orriant Coaches (Part 1)

On any given weekday, Orriant Health Coaches share expert advice and health education with hundreds of wellness participants across the nation. Often coaches turn to each other for help with tackling crucial health issues or alarming trends. The following dialogue is a snapshot of a recent coach forum.

Topic of Discussion: Addressing the dangers of very low calorie intake with individuals who are seeing success in losing weight this way.

*Please note that identifying information is kept strictly confidential.

Health Coach Auston H. says:

Another area to consider is a concept called "Metabolic Damage” by Dr. Layne Norton. Let’s assume that an individual consumes 2,300 calories per day and his body burns 2,000 of those calories very consistently. What happens when that individual drops to 1,200 calories per day? Will the body continue to burn 2,000 calories and take the deficit from fat stores? For a time yes, but a linear rate of calorie burning like that would eventually kill the person. Rather, the body will slow down the amount of calories that it burns to be more in line with intake—such a wonderful survival mechanism, but not great for fat loss.

Dr. Norton’s recommendation is simply to reduce calories by a few hundred per day, and also to increase exercise and develop muscle. When individuals hit a plateau in this format, they have a lot more wiggle room with calorie intake to adjust for additional weight loss. I also like to educate individuals that you need to give fuel to your body while you work. It doesn't make sense to work on an empty tank and then fill up during your rest phase (dinner time). Try driving your car on an empty tank, and then fill it up when you get home—let me know how that works out for you. 

Health Coach Nate L. says:

I would also add a thought on the development of our culture as a people. We often do not understand that the way we should eat is different from how humans ate twenty years ago. It is no longer three square, sit-down meals a day. It’s actually more like

six to eight light, on-the-go meals that might fit with a faster paced lifestyle better than what used to work.

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The Burning Truth of Tobacco Use

Smokeless tobacco products—including electronic cigarettes and dissolvable tobacco—are being promoted by the industry as a safer alternative to cigarettes. Some of the newest offerings even look strikingly similar to candy. Alarmingly, many smokeless options are notregulated like other tobacco products, so it’s up to the consumer to be well-educated.

ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES

Let’s start with electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes (E-Cigs) or personal vaporizers (PV). An electronic cigarette is an automated inhaler that vaporizes a liquid solution into an aerosol mist, simulating the act of tobacco smoking. A typical ecigarette consists of a battery, a heating element and a cartridge containing nicotine, plus an unknown mix of other chemicals to make the solution. The manufacture, quality control, sale and advertisement of electronic cigarettes are currently unregulated. Consumers have no reliable information concerning the dosage of nicotine or other harmful chemicals contained in them. For example, government researchers have discovered that many brands claiming to be nicotine-free test positive for nicotine. Dr. Lowell Dale of the Mayo Clinic gives the following, straightforward explanation of the risks associated with electronic cigarettes:

“Manufacturers claim that electronic cigarettes are a safe alternative to conventional cigarettes.  However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has questioned the safety of these products. When the FDA analyzed samples of two popular brands, they found variable amounts of nicotine and traces of toxic chemicals, including known cancer-causing substances(carcinogens). This prompted the FDA to issue a warning about potential health risks associated with electronic cigarettes. Until more is known about the potential risks, the safe play is to say no to electronic cigarettes. If you're looking for help to stop smoking, there are many FDA-approved medications that have been shown to be safe and effective for this purpose.”

DISSOLVABLE SMOKELESS TOBACCO

The image below comes from a recent publication of the Davis County Health Department in Utah. It represents a handful of dissolvable tobacco products. These new forms of smokeless tobacco are a response from the tobacco industry to declining smoking rates across the nation. Think, a typical cigarette contains 30 mg of nicotine.

DANGERS OF USING SMOKELESS

TOBACCO AS A QUIT-AID

Although they may look similar dissolvable tobacco is not the same as a quit-aid, such as nicotine gum. The same is true of e-cigarettes. One reason is that individuals who use smokeless tobacco products as a quit-aid rarely switch to them exclusively. In other words, while in the process of “quitting,” smokers are simultaneously using cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products (also known as dual use). This increases the risk of harm and disease.

THE BURNING TRUTH

How do Orriant Health Coaches respond to the statement, "Well at least the e-cigarette is better than a regular cigarette.”? There is no “safe” tobacco product!  Every form of smokeless tobacco can lead to nicotine addition, gum disease, and cancer. More specifically, constant exposure to tobacco causes cancer of the esophagus pharynx, larynx, stomach, and pancreas. And, according to the American Heart Association, smokeless tobacco still increases the risk of coronary heart disease and major cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.

www.orriant.com