Author Archives: Kinsey

Understanding Obesity Related Diseases: High Cholesterol

As more of our population become obese and overweight, obesity diseases become much more prevalent. High Cholesterol is one such disease, and here I explain what it is, why it affects the overweight, symptoms and prevention.doctor

What is it?
Cholesterol is in every cell in your body and is important for proper functioning of your body (i.e. used to build healthy cells and some vital hormones).  With high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia), fatty deposits may develop in your blood vessels, making it difficult for blood to properly flow through the arteries.  With this restricted flow your heart may not get the oxygen-rich blood that it needs, possibly causing a heart attack or stroke, if blood flow is restricted to your brain.

Why is it affected by obesity/overweight?
Obesity is mainly caused by taking in more calories than are expended through physical activity and daily life. Taking in too many calories, or too much saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol will increase blood cholesterol levels.  High cholesterol is an obesity-associated disease due to the increased amount of fat, especially when that fat is found in the abdominal region (“apple”-shaped individuals).  Obesity raises blood LDL “bad” cholesterol and lowers HDL “good” cholesterol. (more…)

Posted on April 22, 2023 by Kinsey

Understanding Obesity Related Diseases: Metabolic Syndrome

obesityAs more of our population become obese and overweight, obesity diseases become much more prevalent. Metabolic Syndrome is one such disease, and here I explain what it is, why it affects the overweight, symptoms and prevention.

What is it?

Metabolic syndrome is characterized by several disorders related to your metabolism simultaneously. These disorders/components include obesity (particularly abdominal/waist fat), elevated blood pressure, increased triglyceride level, low HDL “good” cholesterol level, and insulin resistance. Having one of these components means you are more likely to have others; the more components you have the greater risk to your health.

Metabolic Syndrome has had a few names including syndrome X and insulin resistance syndrome. Not all experts agree on the definition of metabolic syndrome or whether it exists as a medical condition. Despite the discrepancies, the severity of possessing this collection of risk factors can lead to serious health complications.

Why is it affected by obesity/overweight?

Obesity is one of the components to this syndrome, therefore it has a huge impact on it. A body mass index (BMI) of greater than 25 increases your risk. BMI is a measure of your percent body fat based on height. Abdominal obesity (fat accumulation in the stomach area), or being “apple-shaped” rather than “pear-shaped,” is another factor increasing your risk of metabolic syndrome. (more…)

Posted on April 21, 2023 by Kinsey

Understanding Obesity Related Diseases: Heart Disease

As more of our population become obese and overweight, obesity diseases become much more prevalent. Heart disease is one such disease, and here I explain what it is, why it affects the overweight, symptoms and prevention.cardiologist

What is it?
Heart disease is an umbrella term used to describe a range of diseases affecting the heart and, in some cases, blood vessels.  The diseases that fall under this broad term include: cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, heart rhythm problems, congenital heart defects, etc.

The damaging effect of heart disease is severe, it’s the number one killer of men and women.  According to the Mayo Clinic website, it’s responsible for 40% of all the deaths in the U.S., which is more than all forms of cancer combined.

Why is it affected by obesity/overweight?
Abdominal fat is a predictor of risk for obesity-related diseases.  Overeating and physical inactivity is a deadly combination when it comes to your health.  A poor diet high in fat, salt, and cholesterol (which is a common diet in obese/overweight individuals) can and does contribute to the development of heart disease.  The rate of obesity is significantly high in the U.S., thus is of concern to health professionals because of its implications on American’s health. (more…)

Posted on April 20, 2024 by Kinsey

Understanding Obesity Related Diseases: Sleep Apnea

As more of our population become obese and overweight, obesity diseases become much more prevalent. Diabetes is one such disease, and here I explain what it is, why it affects the overweight, symptoms and prevention.sleep-apnea

What is it?
Sleep apnea is a sleeping and breathing disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts, which has the potential to be fatal.  There are two main types of sleep apnea: 1) obstructive and 2) central (or you could have a combo of the two, which is known as complex sleep apnea).  Obstructive sleep apnea is the more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax, whereas central sleep apnea occurs when your brain does not send the proper signals to the muscles that control your breathing.

Why is it affected by obesity/overweight?
Excessive weight and fat deposits around your upper airway seen with obesity may obstruct your breathing and lead to sleep apnea.  It is important to keep in mind that not everyone who has sleep apnea is overweight. (more…)

Posted on April 19, 2024 by Kinsey

Understanding Obesity Related Diseases: Type 2 Diabetes

As more of our population become obese and overweight, obesity diseases become much more prevalent. Diabetes is one such disease, and here I explain what it is, why it affects the overweight, symptoms and prevention.diabetes

What is it?
Obesity can lead to diabetes, specifically type 2 diabetes.  Type 2 diabetes, once called adult-onset and non-insulin dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition affecting the way your body metabolizes glucose/sugar.  With type 2 diabetes, your body still produces insulin (a hormone that regulates the absorption of sugar into your cells), but your body has either become resistant to its effects or you can not produce enough insulin to maintain a normal glucose level.  Left uncontrolled, the consequences of type 2 diabetes can be life threatening.

Why is it affected by obesity/overweight?
Obesity is a culprit to type 2 diabetes.  With obesity, you are consuming calories beyond your caloric needs, therefore having more glucose in your body that your insulin is incapable of moving it into your cells.  There is plenty of evidence showing that excessive abdominal fat and physical inactivity (both seen in obesity) is a major precursor to type 2 diabetes. (more…)

Posted on April 18, 2024 by Kinsey

Nutrient Rich Foods: Learn Them and Eat Them!

ADA PyramidI say it often and I know you’ve heard others say it, but nutrient rich foods are key for your health and for weight loss (or weight maintenance). I recently received some information about the Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition (NRF) and decided to check out their website. In doing so, I found some great information about incorporating nutrient rich/dense foods into your diet.

What is the NRF?

The Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition website describes this group as “a partnership that brings together leading scientific researchers, communications experts and agricultural commodities. Our members are composed of 12 food commodity associations that represent the five basic MyPyramid food groups.” Meaning, this group consists of experts in each of the five food groups (milk, grains, vegetables, oil, fruits). The website offers several tools that the public can understand and incorporate into their lives with the focus being on making calories count by choosing nutrient rich foods. (more…)

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Kinsey

Quick, Easy, and Nutritious Springtime Snacks

strawberry smoothieYou find your stomach growling, but know you’re hours away from lunch time. That vending machine down the hall is very tempting and is practically calling your name. What do you do? If you plan ahead and make your own healthy snacks at home (or having things to prepare at work) you can avoid the high fat, high-calorie vending machine temptation. Healthy snacking and being prepared will help provide your body with nutrients needed, as well as not adding pounds to your waistline.

Remember, you shouldn’t feel guilty about snacking while dieting, as long as you are making healthy choices. Snacking when you’re hungry may help because you will be less likely to over eat at your next meal (i.e. getting seconds or thirds), therefore help you stay on track to losing weight. The key to incorporating snacks into your weight loss plan is to plan them with variety, moderation and balance in mind.

Try some of these springtime snacks that are great for all ages!

  • Make your own trail mix- mix ready-to eat cereal, dried fruit and nuts.
  • Frozen banana-pop- Peel a banana and dip it in yogurt then roll it in crushed cereal or granola.  Freeze and enjoy! (more…)
Posted on April 3, 2024 by Kinsey

Majority of Adults Eat Twice the Salt They Need

WebMD wrote a very interesting article on its website discussing the problem our country has with consuming too much salt/sodium in our diets. The Center of Disease Control found that 70 percent of Americans are consuming 2.3 times the healthy amount of salt on a daily basis.

Why is this bad?
A high sodium diet is associated with high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke, which sadly can lead to death.

How does this happen?
When you eat salt, your blood pressure increases.  When you consistently consume high amounts of salt, your blood pressure remains high and dramatically increases your risk of stroke and heart disease.

The shocking news.
A major contributor to this increase in salt consumption is not due to sprinkling salt from the shaker (obviously this adds to it), but studies show that most salt from our diet is from processed and manufactured foods. (more…)

Posted on March 30, 2024 by Kinsey

Broccoli is a Super Food for Diabetics

A very interesting article was written on the Mayo Clinic website about broccoli’s ability to reverse diabetes damage. The Mayo Clinic is a very credible and highly renowned hospital that has a great reputation as a pioneer and innovator in medicine – patient care, medical research and academic education. The article discussed a research study in which scientists examined the phytochemical sulforaphane, found in broccoli.

Research has shown that sulforaphane seems to help:

  • Produce enzymes in the body that protect blood vessels, which is achieved by reducing tissue damaging substances triggered by high blood sugar. Vascular disease is a major complication of diabetes. This type of disease can lead to heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and circulation issues in extremities, which could lead to possible amputation.
  • Activate genes that regulate protective antioxidant (scavenger harmful free radicals) and detoxifying enzymes. (more…)
Posted on March 29, 2024 by Kinsey

Understanding the Food Exchange List

Following the Food Exchange guidelines can help a diabetic manage a healthy diet.

The food exchange lists were developed in the 1950s by the American Dietetic Association, American Diabetes Association, and the U.S. Public Health Service in attempt to simplify the strict and complicated diabetic diet. The idea behind the exchange lists was to provide an educational tool to diabetics and to help provide structure in meal planning. The key to controlling diabetes is to control your blood sugar/blood glucose level. This system does a great job of outlining what you can do to help yourself to control your blood sugar.

A major downfall to this system is cracking down the complexity in order to implement it into your daily life. Therefore, it’s recommended for individuals to meet with a Registered Dietitian (a certified diabetes educator is ideal) in order to fully grasp this diet and help individualize it to your life and needs. The dietitian will recommend a certain number of daily exchanges from each food group based on your individual needs. You and the dietitian will work together to decide the best way to utilize the exchanges in order to control your blood sugar within your target range. (more…)

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Kinsey

Health Benefits of Chewing Gum

man chewing gumAccording to the American Dietetic Association (ADA), chewing sugar-free gum can help not only prevent tooth decay and freshen breath, but research is showing that it may be used as a tool to help manage weight, increase focus, alertness and concentration, and help relieve life’s everyday stresses.

Help Manage Your Weight

  • At only 5-10 calories per serving, chewing gum can be a great alternative to avoid unnecessary snacking and to help reduce calorie intake.
  • Chewing gum can serve as a great alternative to a high calorie snack. Chewing two sticks of gum gives you 20 calories versus munching on two chocolate chip cookies that total 140 calories. Meaning you save yourself 120 calories!
  • Using the food exchange list, chewing gum counts as a free food (meaning you can eat as much that you want of it). (more…)
Posted on March 24, 2024 by Kinsey