A lack of detailed information about Essure, a permanent birth control implant, and the adverse reactions women were having to it, put some women's health in jeopardy, a CBC News/Fifth Estate investigation found. The investigation also found that Health Canada, which is responsible for regulating medical devices, hasn’t been transparent about Essure's licencing or reporting problems with it.

A host of companies are disrupting the dental industry with everything from at-home orthodontic impressions to coconut-flavoured dental floss in Instagram-worthy packaging to a $290 toothbrush alternative that promises to clean your teeth in six seconds.

This episode is part 2 of my interview with the 300 Pounds and Running Podcast host on his viral article – An Open Letter to Race Directors from the back of the pack. Read the letter and see pictures at RunEatRepeat.com.  Last episode we talked about his weight loss and running journey going from unhealthy to couch to 5k and eventually running  a marathon. If you missed it – I suggest you go back and listen to that episode before this one. It’s important to know where someone is coming from to get the full picture of what triggered this article.

If you are new to the show… I’m Monica – a runner, eater, redhead, Mexican and podcaster in Southern California. I started Run Eat Repeat to document training for my 1st marathon and weight loss journey. Along the way the site grew and now it’s a huge community! Follow along on the site and @RunEatRepeat on instagram.

Warm Up:

My mom who has never been to Europe went to Italy over the week of Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday!!?

So I had 2 options for how to celebrate T day –

A. Go bachelor style with my dad and little brother.

B. Order Chinese take-out… which I guess is also bachelor style?

C-. My boyfriend… who we shall refer to as Newport? … I met his family last month and his dad asked what I was doing for the holiday and said I was welcome to join them. But I felt like Newport should invite me, right?

So I had to basically ask him to ask me to go… which may be a miscommunication and may be a huge red flag. But I’m Spanish and we have a history of bull fighting so maybe I’m attracted to red flags?

Anyway.

I brought over the Baked Brie Recipe that I just posted. It’s amazing. Try it.

4 Ingredient  Real California Baked Brie Recipe

And please complete the RER Mailing List Form here.

I’m planning what training, recipes, meal plans and more you want for next year. Chime in so I can better help ya! Thank you <3

Martinus Evans from the 300 Pounds and Running Podcast

Last time I talked to Martinus Evans from the 300 Pounds and Running Podcast about his weight loss, running and injuries. That’s the episode before this one if you missed it –> 300 Pounds and Running Podcast Interview Part 1

Now we’re talking about his article – An Open Letter to Race Directors from the Back of the Pack.

You can read the blog post here: An Open Letter To Race Directors

Part of what made it controversial is that he was mad and he cusses. So he got a lot of pushback online. He also got a lot of people reaching out saying they had similar experiences. Mainly I wanted to know what his experiences were at races and what he wanted to happen moving forward.

We jump right into the conversation – so I go straight into asking him about the letter in this one.

Highlights of the viral article:

– Evans is upset after running several races where he didn’t feel included. Some races he felt straight unwelcome and ignored.

– The letter is heated… it has four letter words. And a lot of people got offended by it. But a lot of people also reached out to him to say they had similar experiences.

– He’s run races where the course is shut down and/or aide stations are removed before the appropriate time limit.

– There are also instances where he or other runners have been too slow for the time limit. And he has suggestions on ways you can still make sure those people get to finish safely when closing the course.

– We talk about what he’s experienced as a self described ‘slow runner’.

– We talk about ways race directors can accommodate slow runners OR choose to shut down the courses early and officially change the cut off time so slower runners know it will be closed.

I ask him…

• What race or run triggered this article?
• You mentioned not getting a medal – what happened there?
• Why did you write this? What’s your goal?
• What do you want to happen from this letter?
• What has the response been?

Follow him on this site and social media here:

Blog: http://www.300poundsandrunning.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/300poundsandrunning
Twitter: http://twitter.com/300lbsandrunnin
Instagram: http://instagram.com/300poundsandrunning/

And if you have any thoughts on what runners or race organizers can do to make everyone feel welcome, have fun and be safe – please share it here!

Podcast Awards for this week:

1. Pile on the Miles runners!!!

2. My new favorite eyebrow threading and eyebrow tinting person. I love you.

3. You! Tell me what you do while listening to podcasts!

Tag @RunEatRepeat on instagram and tell me what you’re doing while listening !I love that!

If you have a question for me email RunEatRepeat@gmail.com or leave a voicemail message with your question at 562 888 1644

Question: What do you think Race Organizers and Runners can do to improve the race experience for back of the pack / slower runners?

Any suggestions??

 

 

The post How Races and Runners Can Make Everyone Feel Welcome Podcast 102 appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

So far 24 Canadians have been infected during an outbreak of dangerous E. coli infection linked to romaine lettuce from California, an incident that is eerily similar to another outbreak a year ago.

They can give someone a new lease on life — and even save a life. Millions of Canadians currently have medical devices implanted somewhere in their body. But they can also malfunction, causing injury or death. Catch up on this week's coverage.

Not only did Tammy turn the clock back on aging and appearance by at least 20 years, she also lost 70+ pounds, reversed decades of rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux.

“My doctor had me start following Wheat Belly in January. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis 24 yrs ago and ran the gamut of methotrexate to Remicade infusions, steroids—you name it. I no longer have to take anything and my inflammatory markers are lower than they ever were.

“My A1c was 8.4 and is now 4.9. I no longer have GERD. My BP has stabilized and the only real medicine I am currently on is Naturethroid.

“Oh, and my starting weight was 205 and I now weigh 134, an unexpected perk!”

Experiences like Tammy’s are why I have to tell newcomers: This is not just a diet like paleo, or being ketogenic, or low-carb. The Wheat Belly lifestyle (and now Undoctored) are comprehensive programs that restore health. One of the principal reasons why the Wheat Belly approach is so powerful and alters appearance so much is because we reverse inflammation, a big part of the reason why Tammy now looks like the daughter of her “before” photo! Yes, she changed her hair color, but look at the contours of her face, around the eyes, and how her eyes are bigger. And, by reversing type 2 diabetes, she has added back something like 8 years to her lifespan.

Among the most shocking aspects of Tammy’s experience, however, is that a doctor advised her to follow Wheat Belly. While I don’t hold back on criticizing my colleagues, Tammy has a doctor who is clearly interested in health—they’re out there!

The post Tammy turns the clock back 20+ years living the Wheat Belly lifestyle appeared first on Dr. William Davis.

In last week’s post we discussed the importance of understanding your body composition.  The scale only tells us our total body weight but not what are body is composed of.   We don’t want to have a very low body weight if we are weak, brittle and mostly made up of fat.  In this week’s blog, we’re going to discuss how you can measure your body composition, so you can have a better understanding of your overall health status.

 

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Having an MRI is the gold standard for knowing your body composition.  The problem is it’s very difficult to get an MRI.  They’re very expensive tests and many hospitals and clinics often have very long wait times.  Don’t worry – there are other great alternatives that are much more economical and time efficient than an MRI.

 

DEXA Body Composition Scan

Most of us have heard of DEXA scans that measure our bone mass density, but you can have a DEXA scan that measures your total body composition.  It’s a low radiation scan, so it’s quite safe for women who aren’t pregnant to have.

What can you learn from a DEXA body composition scan?

1. Your total fat mass and where it is distributed within the body
2. The amount of lean mass you have and where it is located
3. The weight and general quality of your bone mass
4. Your resting metabolic rate (RMR)

How often should you go for a scan?

Most DEXA body composition scans cost around $100.  Some clinics will let you purchase packages of three or six scans at a discounted price per scan.  I know that can be a bit pricy for some, but you don’t have to go very often.  It takes awhile for your body composition to change.   Below is how often I recommend my patients, who can afford to, go for a scan:

1. Baseline

It is always good to know where you’re starting from and have measurements to go back to later if you decide to do any future scans.

2. Every 4 to 6 months

Body composition is slow to change.  You will see very small changes from month to month, but those changes add up to be significant changes in larger chunks of time.  As a result, going for scans too frequently can be a waste of time and money.

3. Feeling stuck

It is good to go for a scan if you start to see the scale creep up and you’re feeling nervous.  Often, we’re just gaining lean mass, which is great!  We want to be have strong bones and muscle to protect us as we age.  Having a body composition done during these times can give you a real peace of mind since you can see you’re losing body fat and gaining bone and muscle mass.

4. When you think you’re at your ideal weight

This is the only time I’m pushy with some patients.  A lot of them will come in and say they don’t’ want to lose anymore weight since they’ve reached their goal on the scale, but I know they still have a very poor body composition because of their metabolic numbers in their labs.  People who weigh very little can be extremely obese if they have a poor body composition.  Having a scan done can often be a reality check to encourage the patient to continue to fast but to start being more active in order to put on healthy weight.

Are there any limitations of DEXA scans?

While these scans are the next best thing to MRIs, they aren’t without flaws.  There are two major things to consider while interpreting your results:

1. They report a reduction in organ fat as muscle loss

DEXA scans interpret the fat in organs as muscle mass.  If you have a fatty liver, the scan is going to measure your large liver as a muscle rather than fat.  This is problematic for interpreting your results, especially if you do a repeat scan after losing liver fat.  Losing any organ fat is a great thing, but the scan will make it appear like you’ve lost muscle mass.  This is something to be cautious of.  I always recommend that patients have a baseline abdominal ultrasound to check to see if they have a fatty liver, pancreas or spleen.  This way we can help interpret the DEXA scan results more accurately.

2. Glycogen stores can make you look like you have more lean mass

If you have a wild, carb filled weekend, you’re body is going to store a lot of those carbs as glycogen in your liver and in your muscles.  This will make your liver and muscles appear to be much larger on the DEXA scan than they are, so you end up thinking you’ve got more muscle mass than you really do.  It’s best to wait a week or two after feasting on carbs to go for your scan to ensure you’re getting the most accurate reading possible.

Interested in getting a DEXA scan in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)?  A good friend of mine, Dr. Suleiman Furmli, who is a family doctor, came to shadow me in clinic one day.  He was never really taught about body composition in medical school, and he realized during our time together how important body composition is.  He went to try to book a DEXA scan for himself and realized that there weren’t many available in his area.  He was concerned that the lack of availability would prohibit his patients for going for this test, which he thinks is very important.  He went on to co-found DEXA.me with colleagues of his to try to provide more centres for body composition analysis across the GTA.

Watch this video to learn more about DEXA body composition analysis. 

 

Body Composition Scales

Not everyone has access to DEXA scans in their area, and I get asked a lot about body composition scales.  I’ve tried hundreds of them and have compared them to my DEXA scan results.  The expensive ones aren’t that much better or more accurate than some of the inexpensive ones.  You can often find a decent one on Amazon for around $50.  They have the same limitations as the DEXA scan, so be mindful if you have one at home and check your composition regularly.  Also, you always want to be checking at the same time of day, preferably first thing in the morning after you’ve fasted and have gone to the bathroom.  Keep in mind they’re not being calibrated by professionals on a routine basis.  I’ve found that they function the best for the first year but start to become unreliable after that.

Waist Circumference

Measuring and noting changes to your waist circumference is a great and affordable way to measure your metabolic health.  Its biggest limitation is that it can’t tell us how much dangerous organ fat (visceral fat) or less dangerous non-organ fat (subcutaneous fat).  If a patient doesn’t have a lot of subcutaneous fat, they may appear to be very slender despite having metabolic syndrome.  This doesn’t rule out any visceral fat, which is the biggest issue with taking measurements in this patient population.

I also encourage patients to take their measurements everywhere and track how much they lose all over their bodies over time. You might not feel like any weight is coming off but being able to quantify the size of your stomach, hips, thighs, arms, etc., can demonstrate to you that progress is being made.

Progress Photos

The cheapest and easiest way to note changes is to take progress pictures.   I encourage patients to take photos monthly so there is enough time to see changes.  It’s hard to tell how much your body is changing when you’re regularly seeing yourself in the mirror, but you’ll be surprised how much you’ve actually changed if you can go back and look at photos of yourself two months ago

The post How to Measure Body Composition – Women and Fasting Part 4 appeared first on Intensive Dietary Management (IDM).