Chiropractic Point-Counterpoint: diet vs lifestyle change for patients

Chiropractic Economics’ Point-Counterpoint is where doctors of chiropractic and health care industry professionals debate the industry’s hottest topics. This issue: diet vs lifestyle changes for nutrition and weight-loss patients.

POINT: Why a modified keto diet might be the best for your patients

The ketogenic diet has steadily climbed in popularity, stealing time on social media waves and popping up everywhere from Oprah to the red carpet. By significantly reducing the amount of carbohydrates one consumes — all those starchy snacks, sugars and grains that produce a readily-accessible supply of glucose — the keto diet urges the body to tap into its fat stores for fuel, thus whittling the waistline while boosting energy and brain function.

A modified keto diet can be key — not only for those who want to dodge the potentially negative effects of eating a surplus of animal fats and products, but also for those who are interested in exploiting the keto diet’s impact on hormone health. The modified keto diet, which, by advocating for virgin olive and coconut oil as its principal fat, relies on green vegetables as its primary source of carbohydrates, and prioritizes fish and select nuts as its main form of protein. This may have a higher — and cleaner — nutritional content than its traditional counterpart.

Further, the modified keto diet allows for up to 50 net grams of carbs per day, which at 20-35 grams more than conventional keto diets, may seem more doable and sustainable to dieters.

The modified ketogenic diet and hormone health

One potential advantage of following a ketogenic diet often is overlooked: the positive impact it can have on hormone health. The low-carb facet of the ketogenic diet can tame insulin levels, which, for women, may result in healthier ovulation. What’s more, following a modified keto diet vs lifestyle change may alter one’s microbiome, so that bacterial flora in the intestines shifts in a healthy direction.

Laurie Steelsmith, ND, LAc, is the medical director of Steelsmith Natural Health Center in Honolulu, where she has a busy private practice, and is an associate clinical professor at Bastyr University. Read this article in full at chiroeco.com/keto-2-0.

POINT: Simple changes to lifestyle can make a world of difference

It is common sense to recognize the massive role foods and substances we ingest play, even at the most basic cellular level. Encouraging your patients to implement some of the following healthy practices can help them fight or prevent heart disease and metabolic issues.

The Mediterranean style of eating characteristic of those cultures living in regions around the Mediterranean Sea is a proven method of reducing cardiovascular risk. This style of eating incorporates foods high in phytonutrients primarily from the plant kingdom — vegetables, olives, herbs, spices and fruits. In addition, beans, nuts, whole grains, fish, moderate amounts of poultry, and some types of dairy and meat are considered.

Fasting and exercise

Energy restriction in the form of intermittent fasting has gained a lot of popularity for improving high blood pressure, cholesterol, high triglycerides, and serum inflammatory markers. Physical exercise is one of the most important, cost-effective and safe, modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

In the current health care environment, physicians are becoming increasingly dependent on prescribing lipid-lowering drugs to treat patients with dyslipidemias. Many supplements, however, offer natural treatment without the side effects of prescription medications. My most commonly recommended supplements are psyllium and plant stanols/sterols.

The causes of dyslipidemia relate to lifestyle, such as lack of physical exercise, poor diet (especially high consumption of processed foods), tobacco usage and inadequate sleep.

Chiropractic offices are the primary health care candidates to help patients deal with these diet vs lifestyle change issues and improve their lifestyle.

Louis Miller, DC, MS, is the owner and operator of Advanced Chiropractic of South Florida and Healthy Weight Solutions. He can be contacted at 561-432-1399 or through healthyweightsolutions.org. To read this article in full go to chiroeco.com/coronary-heart-disease.

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