Weight loss: What science says really works

Carole has been trying to lose weight for the past two years. She has tried weight watchers,  all number of different supplements but without any significant success. She has a very stressful family and work life leaving little time for exercise and has problems sleeping.

In 2014, 20.2% of Canadians aged 18 and older, roughly 5.3 million adults, were classified obese. (1) In 2013, it was estimated that Canadians spend nearly 7 billion dollars on weight loss products and programs. (2) There is much hype what works for weight loss but what does the current scientific research say.

What is best Diet for weight loss?

In a scientific paper recently published in the Lancet looking at the effectiveness of different diets for long-term weight loss, the researchers concluded that when compared with diets, the evidence does not support low-fat diets over other diets for long-term weight loss. (3) Other findings included:

• Low-carbohydrate diets led to significantly greater weight loss than did low-fat interventions.
• Low-fat diets did not result in differences in weight change compared with other higher-fat diets.
• Higher-fat weight loss diets led to significantly greater weight loss than low-fat interventions.

These findings go some way to dispelling the idea that low-fat diets are an effective intervention for long-term weight loss. On the contrary, it appears that a high fat, low carb is a better approach based on current evidence. This conclusion is backed up by findings from a study looking at the effect of a Mediterranean, high-fat, low carbohydrate diet, which found it had a significant impact on weight loss. (4)

What about exercise?

There is a commonly held belief that you need to do exercise to lose weight but is this true. When looking at the scientific data increasing exercise without any other changes has a modest effect on weight. (5) However, moderate exercise combined with other lifestyle interventions clearly had a significant influence on weight. (6)

Does sleep affect weight?

There is robust scientific research to show that poor sleep has a negative effect on overall health as well as weight. (7) A review paper found that reduced sleep duration is a causal factor of weight gain. (8)

What about stress?

While stress has a negative impact on health, there is only weak evidence that it causes weight gain. (9)

In conclusion

Lifestyle factors such as poor diet, sleep and lack of exercise can cause weight gain. When considering a weight loss program, the evidence points to one that includes a Mediterranean high-fat, low carb style diet, moderate exercise, and adequate sleep. While there is only weak evidence that stress alone causes weight gain it would be foolish to ignore because of the negative effects stress has on health. (10)

Disclaimer

This article in not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Insomnia, sleep duration, quality and your health

Jackie 34 has been a bad sleeper ever since she was a teenager. She finds it hard to go to sleep and frequently wakes around 4 am when she tosses and turns until she usually gets up around 6 o'clock.

Jackie is not alone. An estimated 40 percent of Canadians suffer from sleep related problems according to a study conducted by Université Laval researchers under the supervision of Dr. Charles M. Morin. (1)

She has some concerns about her sleep:

• How might her poor sleep be affecting her health?
• How much sleep should she be getting?
• Why does she sleep so poorly?

How might her poor sleep be affecting her health?

Research has shown that poor sleep can have a significant effect on our health. But poor sleep does mean not only too little but also too much as well as the quality of sleep.

Sleep and overall chance of disease or death

Too little and too much sleep increases the risk of the possibility of death and illness. (2)

Sleep and your digestion

Participation in shift work, especially rotating shift work, is associated with the development of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and abdominal pain that is independent of sleep quality. (3)

Sleep disruptions can negatively alter the microbiota of humans. (4)

Sleep and your heart

Both long and short sleep duration associated with high blood pressure (5) (6), and with an increased cardiovascular disease. (7) (8)

But remember it’s not just about the length or sleep. The quality is also meaningful. Consequently, it has been shown poor sleep quality worsens hypertension.(9)

Sleep, Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity

Short and long sleep associated with increased type 2 diabetes. (10) Short sleep spans link with obesity in children. (11)

Also, again it’s not just about the sleep duration, the quality is crucial here also. Studies have revealed that:

1.   Sleep disruption has an unfavorable bearing on metabolic health (12)

2.   Inadequate sleep quality may contribute to obesity. (13) 

3.   Reduced sleep quality was determined to be an independent risk factor for obesity – even after accounting for other factors, like exercise (14) 

4.   Sleep disruption is a risk determinant for metabolic syndrome. (15) 

Sleep and your brain

Here are a few interesting facts on how sleep affects brain function.

1.   Poor quality sleep is associated with worsening cognitive performance over time. (16)

2.   Poor sleep in children decrease psychological health and increase health complaints. (17)

3.   Sleep helps repair, rewire and purify toxins in the brain. (18)

4.   Improved sleep patterns help with ADHD. (19)

Sleep and your immune system

Sleep disorders increase the risk of autoimmune conditions.

• Patients with non-apnea sleep disorder were associated with a higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases. (20)
• People with Obstructive sleep apnea have a greater danger of developing certain autoimmune diseases. (21)

Too Little Sleep May Quadruple Your Risk for Colds. (22)

How much sleep should she be getting?

For optimum sleep, it’s important that you:

1.   Consistently sleep between 6 or 7 to 9 hours; sleeping more or less has been linked to ill health. (2)

2.   Sleep soundly.

3.   Sleep and wake at approximately the same time; ideally going to bed around 10.

If you do have a sleep problem here are some basic tips and strategies for optimum sleep you can try:

• Light will inhibit melatonin secretion. Dimming lights, using a blue light filter, and wearing amber glasses can all aid with melatonin production.
• Ensure you sleep in cool enviroment
• Noise – Quiet
• Non-stressful pre-bed activities
• Aim to be in bed by 10 or 11 and then sleep 7 to 9 hours, but recognize if you constantly can’t get 7 or need more than nine something might be off.

Why does she sleep so poorly?

If you find you consistently need more than 9 hours of sleep or can’t stay asleep for 7 hours you should investigate an underlying illness or imbalance including: 

1.   Inflammatory or digestive issues (23)

2.   Alzheimer's Disease (24)

3.   Adrenal dysfunction

4.   Hormonal Imbalance

5.   Blood sugar issues

Finally

I hope you found these ideas useful. More importantly, I hope you do something with them.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

9 steps to a healthier you!

Martine 44, works for Stats Canada. She is married with two children, Samantha 13 and Gordon 11. Both play high level soccer which means that both her husband Graham and her are kept extremely busy ferrying them both to practice sessions and games. This combined with a demanding job and shouldering much of the home work, as her husband works late, Martine has little time for exercise, socializing, or pursuing her hobby of painting. 

Her full life has also meant that her diet has suffered since she has little time in the mornings except to grap her cup of coffee from Tim Hortons and a bagel. Lunches are often a quick sandwich and  while suppers often consist of some form of processed protein and frozen vegetables. By the time supper is finished and cleared away, Martine is usually exhausted and usually collapses in front of the TV with a glass of wine, which can often turn into 2 or 3. She manages to get to bed by about 11.30 most nights but usually takes about an hour before she goes to sleep. She sleep well but getting up for a work day has become increasingly hard as does not feel rested. 

Her energy picks up after her coffee but after lunch she is usually tired. Over the last year she has put on nearly 20lbs, has started to suffer from seasonal allergies and has been catching colds on a regular basis. 

On a recent visit to her doctor, Martine was horrified to find out that she had high blood pressure and cholesterol were high, her fasting blood sugar indicated that she was pre diabetic, and she had blood markers for autoimmune hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's)

Like thousands in Canadian today, the demands of career and family life has meant that Martine has taken her good health for granted and she has now become part of the alarmingly growing statistics of sick Canadians:

• In 2008/09, almost 2.8 million Canadians (6.8%) were living with diabetes.
• Almost 16,000 Canadians die each year as a result of a heart attack.
• 6 million Canadians (1 in 5) suffer from high blood pressure, representing 19% of the population.
• Obesity among Canadians tripled between 1985 and 2011 and it is estimated that about 21% will be clinically obese by 2019.
• Approximately, 2 million Canadians are affected by an autoimmune disease.

Up until she had started having children Martine had always been extremely fit, and full of energy and life. With this disturbing news she looked and felt 54, not 44, and was determined to get back her health but how?

To understand how Martine can take back her health we need to understand the fundamental reason why her health is failing -  mismatch!

Our bodies have not adapted to the diet and lifestyle we have in the modern world today. When animals are taken out of their natural habitat and caged into a zoo they become less healthy and they have a shorter life span. Zoologists have recognized this for sometime and as such have tried to recreate the animals diet and environment as much as possible. Our bodies are still much adapted to the diet and environment we lived in as hunter gatherers and like animals that are have been caged in a zoo, our bodies are caged by our modern diet and lifestyle.

To help Martine get back her health like in the zoos she needs to recreate, as much as possible, that ancient diet and lifestyle.

Here is a brief outline of the 9 steps Martine needs to take in order to get back her healthier self:

• Just eat real food and avoid food toxins.
• Nourish your body with the right foods.
• Think about the quality of the food and drink you consume.
• Get better sleep.
• Manage your stress.
• Get moving!
• Start enjoying yourself more!
• Get back into nature.
• Spend more time with the people you like and love!

If you can relate to Martine and some or all of her health issues then start to think about the above steps and about how you can begin to integrate them into your life. Over the next 9 weeks, I will write about each in more detail with details on why these steps are so important and practical tips on how to implement them.

Finally

I hope you found these ideas useful. More importantly, I hope you do something with them.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

My Healthy New Years Resolution - SLEEP!

With the dawn of a new year, most of us have thoughts of making positive changes in our lives. But few think of getting more sleep. Sleep is one of the four pillars of optimal health, and more and more research is highlighting it's importance as part of a healthy lifestyle regimen. 

According to a recent article in the Deseret News, there are four ways in which sleep can have a negative effect on your mental and physical health:

1. Sleep recharges the brain
2. Lack of Sleep can lead to weight gain
3. Bad sleep habits have been linked to Mental Illness
4. Long-term sleep deprivation can lead to serious conditions like heart disease

So how to do you know if you are getting enough sleep?

In an informative info-graphic, produced by the US National Healthy Sleep Project, it outlines 5 tell tell signs that you may not be getting enough sleep:

1. You start to doze off when you are driving
2. You are forgetful and make mistakes
3. You feel fatigued or lack energy
4. You are irritable, grouchy or lose your temper easily
5. You rely on caffeine to get through the day

There are, of course, lots of medical reasons why you may not be sleeping well but those aside, in a great blog article, Chris Kresser 3 simple steps you can make that may well improve your sleep:

1. Reduce your exposure to artificial light
Artificial light interferes with our body's circadium rythym and so disrupts our sleep. There are 5 ways we can reduce our artificial light exposure:

• Avoid using your computer for 2 hours before going to bed.
• Put blackout shades up in your bedroom to make it pitch black.
• Cover your digital alarm clock or use an analog clock.
• Disconnect all digital devices that give off of light.
• If you cannot do these things for any reason, try wearing a  sleep mask.

2. Don't be too full or too hungry when you go to bed
For most eating a light supper is a good plan, especially for those who have digestive issues. While for people who suffer with low blood sugar episodes or hypoglycemia having a small snack before going to bed is a good idea.

3. Go to bed earlier
When we are asleep this our allows our body time to repair and restore our tissues. The most optimal time for this to happen is between 11pm and 3am. So going to bed by 10pm is a good plan.