From The Doctor’s Desk: New Year Solutions
Dr. Nathan Goodyear, MD
We are just days away from putting on silly hats, drinking champagne, and kissing the one we love as we bid goodbye to the year. What an amazing year 2011 has been and how quickly it has come to an end! Soon, we will wake to January 1, 2012 resolving to do something new, to do something better. We will all take the plunge into New Year’s resolutions.
So, why do we make resolutions?
The need for a resolution implies that a problem exists. That a need for a change of directon is required. With a resolution, we have a resolve or determination to do something better. The way I see it, we should be focusing on solutions. And in the battle for our health, we need a solution-focused approach.
To find a solution, we must define the problem. The greatest obstacle to health today is disease. The problem is that our current health care disease model doesn’t work for health or health restoration. It does do a good job of managing disease, but we are not interested in disease management, as it relates to obesity. We are interested in disease resolution.
So, what does the research say in response to the above statement?
The future health of Americans is bleak. According to a recent article from the world’s leading general medical journal, The Lancet, 50% or more of Americans will be obese by the year 2030. The same article showed that 12 states have an obesity rate exceeding 30%. The healthiest state was Colorado, but its obesity rate just clipped the 20% mark. In fact, no state had an obesity rate less than 20%. Another article from The Lancet revealed that 86% of American adults will be obese or overweight by 2030.
We need a resolution to focus on solutions, not band-aids.
But, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, it will happen before 2030. The OECD says that 75% of Americans will be obese or overweight by 2020. And it is worse for men, where 82% are estimated to be obese or overweight.
The impact of obesity? According to the International Diabetes Federation Foundation, 1 in 10 adults will have diabetes by 2030. That equates to 552 million adults worldwide. In the US, money spent or lost on obesity has reached an estimated 1% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
What has our current disease-model paradigm done for the obesity battle? If you look at the statistics, nothing. In fact, we are losing the battle. Yet we continue to pour money into a failing medical model for obesity, that studies have shown doesn’t work.
What we need is a solution-focused approach to the obesity epidemic. We need a resolution to do better as a medical community. We need a resolution to focus on solutions, not band-aids. We need a resolution to focus on health and health restoration, not on disease management.
At Seasons Wellness Clinic, our approach to wellness is solution-focused and addresses the obesity epidemic head on. We work every day to offer our patients and clients the tools they need to pursue wellness. Questions? Spend some time on our website getting to know us and what we do. Then call 318.255.3223 and speak with one of our Patient Relations Specialists. We look forward to a New Year full of health, wellness, and solutions!
One Man’s Food is Another Man’s Poison
Sensitivity to certain foods can cause unwanted weight gain, migraines, fatigue, gastrointestinal disorders and many more chronic problems. Food intolerance is not an immediate reaction, like a peanut allergy for example. Food intolerance occurs many hours after consumption. With delayed symptoms, it’s difficult to detect which food your body isn’t processing properly. You may be eating healthy food. But it might NOT be the foods that are healthy for you.
The process of determining food sensitivities is as simple as a blood draw. The food sensitivity test screens for reactions to over 300 foods, chemicals and other substances associated with inflammation that are linked to chronic health problems. After identifying food sensitivities, you eliminate the trigger foods and get on the fast track to good health!
At Seasons, we are extremely pleased with the success stories from patients who have taken the test and eliminated trigger foods from their diet. One of our patients has lost a total of 60 lbs in 7 months since avoiding certain trigger foods. She had no idea that the food she was consuming was making her sick and keeping her from losing weight. Another patient had “excruciating migraines” and was looking for a solution. Since eliminating the foods that she is sensitive to, she has not had a migraine AND lost 20 lbs!
Take control of your health instead of taking medications to treat symptoms. Identifying and eliminating from your diet foods to which you are sensitive can help you shed pounds and feel better!
Food sensitivity testing – the how to.
Valerie Costanza, RD
The process starts with a referral from a doctor or a consultation with our nutritionist, Valerie Costanza, RD. The Seasons staff will verify insurance coverage for the test. Next, a simple blood test is performed and sent off for analysis. Results take approximately 3 weeks and come back on an easy-to-read, color-coded chart. You will meet with the Valerie to review the results and help you make a meal plan that incorporates the foods that are good for you and eliminates the ones that are making you sick. One nutritional consultation with Valerie is complimentary after having food sensitivity testing.
For more information about food sensitivities or to schedule an appointment, contact Seasons Wellness Clinic, Ruston, LA, at 318-255-3223 or Seasons Healthcare, Monroe, LA at 318-387-2828.
Confession #2: Who Knew I Had So Much In Common With Oprah?
Elizabeth Drewett
During my journey back to good health, I have discovered there are many others taking the journey with me. Oprah and I go way back. Just kidding. Oprah and I do have two things in common: we were both born in southern states (she in Mississippi, me in Louisiana), and we both have a condition called hypothyroidism. And, it turns out, we are on the same journey.
You may have heard about hypothyroidism on recent episodes of Oprah (you can watch episodes on her website). Oprah has sought treatment for her hypothyroidism with bioidentical hormones, just like me. My condition was diagnosed in December of 2007 and I have been treated with bioidentical thyroid since that time. Because we have the same condition, I thought I would share with you some of the symptoms I experienced.
- Image via Wikipedia
I had symptoms but didn’t even know they were symptoms. That’s one of the main reasons I am bearing my soul to you. I want you to know what I didn’t. If you have symptoms, my guess is you probably don’t know you have symptoms either.
Hair falling out. I have long hair (bra strap length). And when your long hair falls out, it just seems normal. In fact, when Dr. Goodyear asked me if my hair was falling out, I said no. After I began treatment with bioidentical thyroid, my hair stopped falling out. It was shocking. If you are pulling handfuls of hair out each time you wash, it might not be normal. I had handfuls while blow drying as well.
- Image by obo-bobolina via Flickr
Lack of energy. I have two young children, ages 10 and 4. My four-year-old didn’t sleep through the night on a regular basis until she was 2 ½. (No, I don’t need parenting classes. She had chronic ear infections and difficulty cutting teeth.) I assumed that my chronic exhaustion was due to my chronic lack of sleep. And I assumed that when I did get a couple of good nights of sleep and still felt tired, that I just needed more time to get “back to normal.” That never happened. Even after she began sleeping through the night, I remained chronically tired. I finally agreed with my husband that something just wasn’t right.
Weight gain/depression. For me, this was the worst symptom of all. Even on a diet, I gained weight. What’s up with that? Humiliation. Guilt. Frustration. I made great efforts to eat right and exercise but with no results. (Oprah’s battle with this is well-documented!) This led me, frustrated, back to the pantry to eat myself to happiness. After diagnosis and treatment, I learned that with hypothyroidism your body chemistry is working against you. You will gain weight…spontaneously, but because of your abnormal body chemistry, not because you overate.
Cold feet. No, not the scared to do something kind of cold feet. For me, socks every night was a must. Even in the summer.
Dry skin. I am the original oily-skinned girl. Shiny nose at noon. You know my type! My skin became dry but I didn’t notice it. My aesthetician made a comment to me following a facial about how my skin had changed. It was her comment that made me realize that my skin had become dry (as had my hair).
Fuzzy thinking/poor memory. I found myself unable to remember a list of a few items at the grocery store. I had to write EVERYTHING down. And I mean everything. Couldn’t even remember to return a phone call. (Anyone reading this who I forgot to call, now you know why! So sorry!) I couldn’t even concentrate to make the grocery list and counted on my husband to do that with me.
After Dr. Goodyear diagnosed me, I began taking bioidentical thyroid made by our local compounding pharmacist. Bioidentical thyroid takes a little longer to produce results than the synthetic variety. But my patience was rewarded with a return to normal thyroid levels. Within two weeks, my hair stopped falling out. Within three months, I could tell a substantial difference in my energy level and my ability to think clearly. Now, after 15 months of therapy, I am working again. It would have been impossible for me to have a normal job 15 months ago.
If you have questions about hypothyroidism and its symptoms, please send your comments.
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- Oprah on her battle with weight (cnn.com)
- Oprah Can Blame Her Thyroid. Can You? (usnews.com)
- Confession #1 (seasonswc.com)
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