The skinny on weight loss: Part X

In my last editorial "An alternative to weight loss," I wrote about trying to affect a changing hypertension (elevated blood pressure) using drugs versus losing weight. I explained that this was imply treating the symptom and not the cause and how in the end the desired outcome - preventing deaths from heart disease - was proven in long term studies not to have happened.

But in a sad irony the cause, which is excess insulin, was not only not addressed but some hypertensive drugs actually raised insulin levels. My articles have focused on treating the cause and not the symptom.

With the Metabolic Syndrome, which so many Americans have, (i.e. central obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and Type II insulin resistant diabetes) just losing weight is treating the symptom not the cause. Medical research has shown the common denominator to these conditions is excess insulin. This is not being properly addressed and therefore is it any wonder why 95 percent of those who lose weight will gain it back?

Now let's take a look at another component of the Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X. Let's just say you've been diagnosed with elevated cholesterol and you don't appear to be obese or you are and feel that taking cholesterol lowering drug will suffice. That would be a lot easier than going through the discipline of doing a diet treatment that will actually treat the overactive or dysfunctional pancreas which is dumping all this excess insulin into your body. The No. 1 treatment in the world for elevated cholesterol are the statin drugs - i.e. Lipitor (Atorovastatin) etc. They indeed do lower cholesterol (as long as you stay on them) but they do nothing to lower excess insulin.

If one were to look up what nutrients these drugs are depleting from his or her body in the Drug Induced Nutrient Handbook from Lexicomp's Clinical Reference Library, one would find they deplete the body of Coenzyme Q10, an extremely important nutrient. The book will then refer you to section about Coenzyme Q10 and the effects of depletion. If you realize that the major concern about elevated cholesterol is it causing cardiovascular disease, it is particularly disturbing to realize that the pharmacologic class of drugs - antilipemic agents - (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) i.e. Lipitor, etc. actually by depleting Coenzyme Q10 will cause the following: "congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, angina, mitral valve prolapse, stroke, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy, lack of energy, gingivitis and generalized weakening of the immune system." The book goes on and on regarding the importance of this important nutrient.

I hope you are getting the point. A famous public speaker, Mr. Jim Rohn, says, "In life we must consider pain. There are two kinds of pain and though we can choose one over the other we cannot escape both. One is the pain of discipline and the other is the pain of regret. While discipline weighs ounces, regret weighs tons."

It's your body, it's your health, it's your choice. Becoming empowered to make the best choice for you requires taking responsibility and gathering information - good credible information. Inevitably, treating the cause is always superior to treating the symptom when you have that option. The Ideal Protein Diet/Treatment is a weight loss treatment that addresses the excess insulin problem by "resetting" the dysfunctional pancreas.

To attend a free class on the Ideal Protein Diet/Treatment please call (208)772-6015 to reserve a seat and learn more about this program where the average weight loss is 3-5 pounds per week for women and 5-7 pounds per week for men. Come on Coeur d'Alene, let's shape up and get healthy together!