Medical Articles, Medicine Information.

EATING DISORDERS: ANOREXIA AND BULIMIA /BIOCHEMICAL ROOTS – SEARCHING FOR SEROTONINDr. Leo Galland, an internist practicing integrated medicine in New York City and author of The Four Pillars of Healing, reports a possible relationship between bulimia and the hormone serotonin. Specifically, carbohydrate cravings in bulimics may represent an attempt to build serotonin levels in the brain. “Serotonin depletion is associated with depression,” notes Dr. Galland, “and bulimics tend to have a terrible self-image. Physiological and psychological factors feed into each other continuously.”Galland adds that bulimia is also associated with food allergies brought on by cravings for endorphin-producing foods. Bulimic individuals appear to require high levels of beta endorphins, substances released from the pancreas when insulin is produced. Often they crave foods that create an endorphinlike effect—dairy products, wheat, and sugar, for example. Bulimic people become addicted to these substances and develop food allergies.In Galland’s practice, treatment for bulimia includes removal of these dmglike foods and addition of supplements, such as 5-hydroxytrypto-phane or tryptophane taken at night to increase serotonin, chromium to help overcome hypoglycemia, and the amino acid DL-phenylalanine during the day to slow down the body’s breakdown of endorphins.*64\233\8*

I love to sit in the sauna or steam room at my gym, although 5 minutes is about all I can handle. All that heat and moisture certainly feel great after a workout. But don’t fool yourself into thinking that they’re effective weight-loss tools. Yes, you may sweat out some water, but any weight loss that occurs is very temporary. In fact, if you lose more than a tiny bit of weight in a sauna, you’re risking severe loss of body fluid and dehydration.

I don’t recommend a sauna or steam bath if you have high blood pressure. The heat is vasodilating, which means that it causes blood vessels to open up. This can alter your circulation and lower your blood pressure, which in turn can cause transient ischemic heart attacks and strokes in certain people.

Starch blockers-Products that interfere with the body’s ability to absorb starch were especially popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1982 alone, you could choose from among some 100 different starch blockers, and over 1 million starch-blocking pills were popped daily.

The theory behind the starch blocker is simple: If you absorb

fewer carbohydrates (starches), you’ll lose weight. But in real life the theory just doesn’t pan out.¹⁴ Besides, carbohydrates should make up about 70 percent of our daily diets. It’s the fat we want to reduce, not the carbohydrates. By all means use Chitosan, the Fat Blocker. Block the right thing!

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This 1985 diet was wildly popular for years, and the book that describes the diet still sells well. The program, devised by
Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, is based on the principles of Natural Hygiene, including the theory that the “body is always striving for health and that it achieves this by continuously cleansing itself of deleterious waste material.”⁶ They say the body has specific cycles during the day: From noon to 8 p.m. the body is appropriating (digesting: g the food you’ve eaten), from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m. the body is assimilating (absorbing and using nutrients), and from 4 a.m. to noon it is eliminating debris from the food and bodily wastes. According to the Diamonds, we should synchronize our eating t*o these cycles, eating the appropriate amounts of certain types of foods at each meal. This will ensure that our bodies will rid themselves of dangerous wastes and remain slim.

The Diamonds encourage dieters to combine foods in specific ways that will make sure that northing is left to “rot” in the stomach. They preach the importance of having no more than one concentrated food in the stomach at a time, eating only a.m. foods in the morning and p.m. foods later in the day, and many other unusual rules. With their plan, what you wind up eating is not a bad diet, but the theories behind this regimen were questioned long ago. Rather than adhering to a so-so diet based on incorrect principles, you’re much better off blocking fat with Chitosan and a scientifically based, patient-tested, safe, and effective healthy eating regimen.

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Just by forgetting to cut the extra fat off a cut of meat or leaving the skin on chicken, or by pouring a little extra oil in the frying pan, you can inadvertently add many grams of fat and therefore calories to a meal. So, if you use fat in cooking, always measure it carefully. And use a cooking spray, such as Pam, in preference to oil or butter when you fry. It adds only a tiny amount of fat, and the food cooks and tastes just the same. Also, considering sauteeing in water instead of oil. It doesn’t work for everything. But a few drops of water is just as good (and, to my taste, even better) than the same amount of fat when you are sauteeing mushrooms or onions. Try experimenting; you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The Fat Blocker Program encourages

trimming excess fat from meats, discarding the skin, eating lean meats only, using low-fat or nonfat versions of margarine for cooking and nonfat salad dressing, milk (unless you hate it), and yogurt. Once again, if you decide to add fat to a meal because otherwise it’s just not good enough to satisfy you, add as little as possible—and take Chitosan in advance to take care of the rest.

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Walking, wogging, jogging, running, swimming, or cycling aren’t the only kinds of aerobic exercise. Any physical activity that gets and keeps your heart rate up and your breath coming faster qualifies as aerobic. Doing heavy yard work, mowing the lawn, washing the car, vacuuming energetically, or chasing your kids around can provide you with aerobic exercise just as surely as running a mile does. And there is absolutely no need to do the same thing every time. After all, you don’t eat the same things every day (except, of course, for Chitosan), so why should you do the same exercise? In fact, varying what you do has two major advantages: It converts exercising from chore to fun so you never get bored, and it ensures that all your muscles get a workout. The only important consideration is to do some form of aerobic activity for at least 30 consecutive minutes at least 4 to 5 times a week. The closer you get to that goal, the better you’ll feel.

When you do start exercising (gently at first, remember), make a real effort to find stimulating activities. For instance, many people enjoy the stimulation and encouragement they find in an aerobics class with inspiring instructors. The energy in these classes can be contagious, while the friendships that spring up make going to class even more fun. The exercises are usually done to the beat of high-energy music, and low-impact formats offer protection against joint wear and tear.

Other activities that can provide aerobic benefits and overall physical fitness include cross country skiing, rowing, tennis, circuit-weight training (without long breaks between weights), and just about any sport that involves steady, continuous moving. Once again, let me remind you: It doesn’t matter which aerobic exercise you do as long as you do it, you do it regularly, and it keeps your heart beating in the target zone for the required amount of time.

For the more aesthetically inclined, jazz dance or ballet classes may be just the thing, and many dance studios cater to adults who are just beginning to learn to dance. Dancing brings strength, flexibility, and balance that can put a willing participant on the road to physical fitness, weight loss, and a new appreciation of the human form. Again, the advantage of being part of a group should not be underestimated. It is a lot more encouraging to hear your friends say, “We missed you,” than to listen to your spouse nagging you because you missed going to your class again.