Dr. Frykman’s Vibrant Potential Blog

Let’s talk fat.

People are getting more sophisticated about weight loss all the time but a lot of people still think that to lose weight you should to cut fat out of your meals.  If you want to lose fat and be a lean mean healthy machine, you need to understand a couple things about fat.

Research shows that there are a lot of advantages to eating “good fats.”  A moderate amount of fat in your diet will help you lose weight, feel full longer, and avoid bingeing.  The trick of course is to eat healthy fats.  So here are five of the best fats you should be eating on a regular basis.

1. Fish

Fish like salmon, albacore tuna, herring, mackerel, and sardines contain beneficial amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.  Most experts agree that eating two servings of fatty fish per week is safe for people worried about mercury or other toxins in the fish.  To glean even more benefits from this SUPER FAT - get on a good, clean fish oil supplement. Call me at 952-224-2909 or email me at DrChris@VibrantPotential.com if you’d like me to give you information on a great fish oil supplement.  There are several options.

Do you ever buy frozen foods at the grocery store? I’m sure you have. The main benefit of frozen foods is their convenience. Just pop them in the oven and it’s ready in no time at all – with no cooking required.

However, the frozen foods section is packed with dietary land mines that can sabotage your weight and health. So today I wanted to point out a few things to look for…and avoid…when buying frozen foods.

1. High Glycemic Load

Wheat flour, high fructose corn syrup, and other starchy ingredients are at the top of the ingredient list on most frozen foods. You’ll find that many have as many as 40 grams of carbohydrate per serving, with only a few grams of fiber. When you see that, this is your clue that you’re looking at a high-glycemic food that will spike your blood sugar, promote fat storage, and contribute to chronic disease.

2. Empty Calories

At first glance, it may seem that a packaged food provides decent nutrition (i.e. 10 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, and 5 grams of fiber per serving). But look closer at where those calories are coming from. Clean organic sources of protein? Healthy fats? Nutrient-rich veggies? Probably not. The bulk of ingredients in frozen foods are low quality and devoid of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc).

3. Filler Proteins

There is a filler called “soy protein isolate” that is found in many frozen foods. The reason it’s in the food is because it’s inexpensive. Don’t be duped into thinking soy protein isolate is a health food. It’s definitely not. And it is in almost every packaged frozen food, including organic ones like Amy’s and Kashi.

4. Unhealthy Fats

The label tells you that your ready-meal contains polyunsaturated fat - but it doesn’t tell you whether it is omega-6 fat or omega-3 fat. Omega-3 fats are critical to our health but severely lacking in the typical American diet. Omega-6 fats, on the other hand, are overly abundant and are one of the primary dietary causes of inflammation…the cornerstone of disease.

5. Sodium

In order to get bland-tasting wheat flour, beans, and rice to taste good, manufacturers rely on salt. Too much sodium, coupled with not enough potassium in the diet, is a recipe for high blood pressure that can lead to heart attack and stroke.

I’m sure you’re well aware that drinking sodas aren’t the best thing for you, but check this out…

On May 27, Health Day reported that drinking too much cola can increase the risk of a muscle problem called hypokalemia.

What is hypokalemia?  In people with hypokalemia, a drop in blood potassium levels results in problems with vital muscle functions. Symptoms can range from mild weakness to serious paralysis.

Did you know that there are people out there drinking between 2 and 9 LITERS of cola PER DAY?  Isn’t that crazy?

“We are consuming more soft drinks than ever before, and a number of health issues have already been identified including tooth problems, bone demineralization and the development of metabolic syndrome and diabetes,” and there’s increasing evidence that excessive cola consumption leads to hypokalemia, Dr. Moses Elisaf, of the University of Ioannina, said in the news release.

Elisaf said the three most common ingredients in cola — glucose, fructose and caffeine — can contribute to hypokalemia.

“The individual role of each of these ingredients in the pathophysiology of cola-induced hypokalemia has not been determined and may vary in different patients,” Elisaf said. “However, in most of the cases we looked at for our review, caffeine intoxication was thought to play the most important role. This has been borne out by case studies that focus on other products that contain high levels of caffeine but no glucose or fructose.”

However, “caffeine-free cola products can also cause hypokalemia because the fructose they contain can cause diarrhea,” Elisaf said.

So if you know anyone who drinks an abnormal amount of Coca-Cola or Pepsi, let them know that it could be very harmful to their muscles and their overall health.

Helping you live YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman

When cooking, adding spices to the food really enhances the flavor and makes the meal more alive and fulfilling.

Today I wanted to share with you 3 spices you should be using consuming on a regular basis because of their health benefits.

The first spice is garlic.

Various studies show that garlic can prevent heart attacks, strengthen the immune system, as well as help the body fight diseases such as colon, breast, prostrate, and throat cancers. Researchers are conducting further trials to uncover more of this pungent spice’s medicinal benefits.

The second spice is chili pepper.

This hot spice is loaded with capsaicin, a compound that triggers the body to produce more heat and, thus, burn more energy. In 2007, in an article published in Physiology & Behavior, research teams from the Maastricht University in the Netherlands and the Laval University in Quebec, Canada reported that capsaicin may help fight obesity. Moreover, their findings indicated that capsaicin has cancer-fighting properties as well.

The third spice is ginger.

Last year, an article in Food and Chemical Toxicology revealed that various studies have found that ginger can lower both blood sugar and cholesterol levels. It also has powerful antioxidant properties that protect against the toxic effects or radiation treatment, ulcers, and skin diseases.

The powerful qualities of these three spices should encourage you to use them in your cooking.  Not only will they enhance the flavor of your meals, they will also provide many health benefits.  Hopefully, this would help you get into the habit of “spicing up” your life with foods that are good for you!

Have a great day!

Dr. Chris Frykman

Sources:
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/garlic-000245.htm

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T0P-4N0X5ST-8&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=29bc4c88662c0935e9a0daa62a049cb3

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T6P-4PP77CR-2&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=6c139c9c223326b00d25d52dea1ad2a9

There’s a lot of talk these days about “antioxidants,” especially when it comes to juices and beverages.

Have you seen different products being marketed as “super antioxidants?”  Want to know which beverages have the “best” antioxidant power?

Here’s the thing…claims of “superior antioxidant activity” can be misleading because testing is usually done on a “limited spectrum” of antioxidant activities.

So researchers from UCLA did some hard core testing to figure out which juices have the best antioxidant power.  They used 4 tests to determine antioxidant potency, which provides us with a much better analysis of the juices.

Here are the top 10 juices in terms of their antioxidant potency:

1. Pomegranate juice
2. Red wine
3. Concord grape juice
4. Blueberry juice
5. Black cherry juice
6. Açaí juice
7. Cranberry juice
8. Orange juice
9. Tea (camellia sinensus  - like white tea, green tea, and oolong tea)
10. Apple juice

Now, even though these juices provide a lot of antioxidant power, you still want to eat whole fruit more often than just driking the juice because the juice itself has so much sugar in it (fructose).  This sugar IS way better than high fructose corn syrup that you find in pop and sweetened juice but it still can have a negative effect on the body if taken in mass quantities.

When you eat whole fruit, the fiber in the fruit will control the release of the fructose sugar into your bloodstream, so it’s easier on your body.

But if you’re looking for a healthy juice for yourself or your kids, this list will help you pick out the best.

Helping you live YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman

Sources:

Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 2008; 56(4): 1415-1422
CBS News July 5, 2008

It amazes me at how corrupt our health care system really is.

The FDA recently issued a warning to the Hain Celestial Group Inc. for using Stevia, an  a natural herbal sweetener, in it’s herbal tea.

The FDA stated, “Data and information necessary to support the safe use have been lacking.”  The FDA did not cite any research studies.

This is a total joke and here’s why.

There is plenty of proven proof that aspartame, better known as Nutrasweet is an dangerous sugar substitute.  (It’s actually a proven neurotoxin)

Here’s the story on Nutrasweet that you might not know.

The FDA approved Nutrasweet in 1981.

The FDA approved Nutrasweet for limited use in 1974, and at the time they were pressured to create a task force to determine it’s safe use.  Dr. John Olney had conducted an experiment in which he fed Nutrasweet to mice and found that holes began to grow in the brains of the mice that were fed it.

Read that last sentence again…”Holes began to grow in the brains of mice that were fed Nutrasweet.”

And the FDA is worried about a natural sweetener being put in Celestial Seasoning’s herbal tea?

Give me a break.  Oh, but it gets better.  Let’s continue…

Once the task force was formed, it found an experiment in which 7 baby monkey’s were fed Nutrasweet mixed with milk.  The results showed the monkey’s having seizures and one dying.

In 1977, the FDA was at a standstill on Nutrasweet.  3 FDA scientists said it was safe, and 3 did not say it was safe.  At this time the FDA commissioner did not approve Nutrasweet.

This decision was overturned in 1981 when the FDA got a new commissioner.  In 1981, Nutrasweet was allowed to be consumed by the general public.

Coincidentally, the new FDA commissioner worked for the company that marketed Nutrasweet.

How convenient.

This is just another fine example of the corruption, hypocrisy, and deception that goes on every day in our health care system.

It’s truly frightening to think the FDA would put their interests with big corporations before the health of our country and allow toxic chemicals like Nutrasweet to be consumed on a daily basis…and then question a natural sweetener.

I will continue to keep you up to date on the “REAL FACTS” and the “TRUTH” about our health care system.  I want you to be as educated as possible so that you can stay as healthy as possible as you age.

So stay tuned, because I’ve got more information coming!

Helping you live YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman
Shakopee, MN

Today I want to talk to you about one of the best nutritional supplements that you can take.  I’m pretty sure you’ve heard about this supplement because it’s become more popular over the past few years.  What is it?

Omega 3 fatty acids…better known as fish oil.

But what you do you really know about this supplement?

There’s a lot of information out there, but unfortunately a lot of it is inaccurate.

So I wanted to take a minute and share with you some facts about Omega 3 fatty acids that you might not know.

1) Omega 3 fatty acids are absolutely essential for your health, hence the term “essential fatty acids”. Your body does not produce them so you have to get them from your diet.

2) There are two main sources for omega 3 fatty acids: animal (primarily fish) and plant.

3) There is a big difference in how your body handles plant Omega 3’s and animal (fish) Omega 3’s.  Our bodies are designed to use these fatty acids exactly as they come in fish oil.  The two main omega 3 fatty acids are called EPA and DHA.  The human brain runs on DHA and can make it from EPA.  Although the human body prefers EPA, both should be present in any fish oil supplements you take because that is how Mother Nature delivers them and how they are intended to be consumed.

Plant Omega 3’s can be converted to the “human form” (EPA and DHA) but the conversion is done poorly by the human body.  It’s estimated that about 5% of plant Omega 3’s wind up as EPA and DHA.  This makes the plant form of omega 3’s less effective.

4) Omega 3 fatty acids are being added to foods which claim to be rich in Omega 3’s.  There is a big marketing push is to sell you these foods.  The problem is most of these foods contain plant omega 3, like flax seeds, and your body can’t use plant omega 3 fatty acids effectively.  This makes fish oil the best way to get the essential omega 3 fatty acids in your diet.

5) Almost every study on the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids has been done with fish oil or fish.  These studies number in the tens of thousand and span three decades.
Plant Omega 3 studies have produced questionable benefits, however.

6) Fish derived fatty acids have been shown to have beneficial effects on heart health, joint health, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and skin cancer as well as many skin conditions including acne, Rosacea, and wrinkles.  This is not the case with plant derived Omega 3’s.

7) Eating fish is often recommended but all fish contain mercury and other toxins.  The government allows a certain degree of mercury in the human diet but many fish contain far more than the recommended level when they are randomly tested. Mackerel, cod, tuna and even salmon, pulled randomly from grocery store shelves, have failed these tests routinely.

The American Cancer Society recommends fish oil capsule supplementation under certain circumstances. Although it encourages that people just “eat healthy”, fish oil remains the only supplement they recommend.

9) Properly manufactured and purified fish oil contains no detectable mercury, lead or other toxins, but it is not generally available in large chain stores and costs more than unpurified fish oil.

10) Scientists venture that today’s typical Western diet contains 30 times less fish oil than it should relative to other fatty acids. Recent studies in multiple scientific journals have suggested that using fish oil and correcting this nutritional deficiency could save hundreds of billions of dollars in health care costs and reduce many of the diseases we now consider common to people getting older.

Because of the amazing health giving properties of these Omega 3 fatty acids, you will continue to see, hear, and read more about them.

If you are not currently taking a pharmaceutical grade, purified fish oil, then I recommend you start.  It’s important that you choose your fish oil wisely.  In our office we offer an excellent brand of fish oil, so if you’d like to start adding it to your diet, just call our office and tell us you’d like a bottle, or pick one up at your next adjustment.

Helping you live YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman
Shakopee, MN

I saw this information the other day and I had to send it to you immediately
because after reading it, all I could think was, WOW.

It’s the list of the 20 worst restaurant meals in America, and it’s shocking.  I
can’t believe how many calories and how much fat is in some of these meals.

I must confess, I’ve eaten a couple of these meals before (not all the time) and
even though they taste good, it’s still very shocking to see the nutritional value
and number of calories in them.

So check these out and see if you’ve eaten any of these lately.

20: Worst Fast-Food Chicken Meal - Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips
from McDonald’s (5 pieces) with cream ranch sauce.
830 Calories, 55 grams fat (4.5 trans fat), 48 carbs. Add a large fries and
regular soda and this seemingly innocuous chicken meal tops out at 1,710
calories.

19: Worst drink - Jamba Juice Chocolate Moo’d Power Smoothie (30 fl oz).
900 calories, 10 g fat, 183 carbs, 166 g sugar.
Jamba Juice calls it a smoothie; MSNBC calls it a milk shake. The beverage
contains as much sugar as 8 pints of Ben & Jerry’s butter pecan ice cream.

18: Worst supermarket meal - Pepperidge Farm Roasted Chicken Pot Pie
(whole pie).
1,020 calories, 64 g fat, 86 g carbs.
Label may say this pie serves two, but, who ever divided a small pot pie in
half? Once you crack the crust, there will be no stopping.

17: Worst ‘healthy’ burger - Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger.
1,145 calories, 71 g fat, 56 g carbs.

16: Worst Mexican entree - Chipotle Mexican Grill Chicken Burrito.
1,179 calories, 47 g fat, 125 g carbs, 2,656 mg sodium.

15: Worst kids’ meal - Macaroni Grill Double Macaroni ‘n’ Cheese.
1,210 calories, 62 g fat, 3,450 mg sodium.
It’s like feeding your kid 1 1/2 boxes of Kraft mac ‘n’ cheese.

14: Worst sandwich - Quiznos Classic Italian (large).
1,528 calories, 92 g fat, 4,604 mg sodium, 110 g carbs.
A large homemade sandwich would more likely provide about 500 calories.

13:  Worst salad - On the Border Grande Taco Salad with Taco Beef.
1,450 calories, 102 g fat, 78 g carbs, 2,410 mg sodium.
This isn’t an anomaly: Five different On the Border salads on the menu
contain more than 1, 100 calories each.

12: Worst burger - Carl’s Jr. (Hardee’s on East Coast) Double Six Dollar
Burger.
1,520 calories! 111g fat.
Carl’s Jr. brags its home to this enormous sandwich, but the restaurant chain
also provides convenient nutrition info on its Web site — so ignorance is no
excuse for eating it.

11: Worst steak - Lonestar 20 oz T-bone.
1,540 calories, 124g fat. Add a baked potato and Lonestar’s Signature Lettuce
Wedge, and this is a 2,700 calorie blowout.

10: Worst breakfast - Bob Evans Caramel Banana Pecan Cream Stacked and
Stuffed hotcakes.
1,540 calories, 77 g fat (9 g trans fat), 198 g carbs, 109 g sugar.
Five Egg McMuffins yield the same caloric cost as this stack of sugar-stuffed
flapjacks, which is truly a heavy breakfast, weighing in at a hefty pound and a
half.

9: Worst dessert - Chili’s Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream.
1,600 calories, 78 g fat, 215 g carbs.
Would you eat a Big Mac for dessert? How about three? That’s the calorie
equivalent of this decadent dish.  Clearly, Chili’s customers get their money’s
worth.

8: Worst Chinese entree - P.F. Chang’s Pork Lo Mein.
1,820 calories, 127 g fat, 95 g carbs.
The fat content in this dish alone provides more than 1,100 calories. And you’d
have to eat almost five servings of pasta to match the number of carbs it
contains. Now, do you really need five servings of pasta?

7: Worst chicken entree - Chili’s Honey Chipotle Crispers with Chipotle Sauce.
2,040 calories, 99 g fat, 240 g carbs.
‘Crispers’ refers to an extra thick layer of bread crumbs that soak up oil and adds
unnecessary calories and carbs to these glorified chicken strips.

6: Worst fish entree - On the Border Dos XX Fish Tacos with Rice and Beans.
2,100 calories, 130 g fat, 169 g carbs, 4,700 mg sodium.
Perhaps the most misleadingly named dish in America: A dozen crunchy tacos
from Taco Bell will saddle you with fewer calories.

5: Worst pizza - Uno Chicago Grill Chicago Classic Deep Dish Pizza.
2,310 calories, 162 g fat, 123 g carbs, 4,470 mg sodium.
Downing this ‘personal’ pizza is equivalent to eating 18 slices of Domino’s
Crunchy Thin Crust cheese pizza.

4: Worst pasta - Macaroni Grill Spaghetti and Meatballs with Meat Sauce.
2,430 calories, 128 g fat, 207 g carbs, 5,290 mg sodium.
This meal satisfied your calorie requirements for an entire day.

3: Worst nachos - On the Border Stacked Border Nachos.
2,740 calories, 166 g fat, 191 g carbs, 5,280 mg sodium.

2:  Worst starter - Chili’s Awesome Blossom.
2,710 calories, 203 g fat, 194 g carbs, 6,360 mg sodium.

1: The worst food in America - Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries with
Ranch Dressing.
2,900 calories, 182 g fat, 240 g carbs.
Even if you split these ’starters’ with three friends, you’ll have downed a
dinner’s worth of calories before you entree arrives.

Have you had any of these meals?  Pretty scary isn’t it?

So if you’re trying to lose weight or maintain your weight, it’s probably a
good idea to eat these meals in moderation or as a treat to yourself.

Have a great day!

Dr. Chris Frykman

Shakopee, MN

I came across some interesting information the other day that I thought would
be fun to share with you.

I’m sure you know that drinking Coca Cola isn’t very good for you.  In fact it
provides absolutely no nutritional.

So check this out.  When someone drinks a Coke, watch what happens…

In the first 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your
recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the
overwhelming sweetness because an ingredient called phosphoric acid cuts
the flavor allowing you to keep it down.

At 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver
responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (There’s
plenty of that at this particular moment)

40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate, your blood
pressure rises, as a response your livers dumps more sugar into your
bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked
preventing drowsiness.

45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure
centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the
way.

>60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your
lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded
by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary
excretion of calcium.

>60 Minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you
have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium,
magnesium and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium,
electrolyte and water.

>60 minutes: As the rave inside of you dies down you’ll start to have a sugar
crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally,
pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with
valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the
ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.

So there you have it, an avalanche of destruction in a single can. Imagine
drinking this day after day, week after week. Or how about the people who
drink 2 or 3 cans a day?

My suggestion: limit your soda intake and stick to water, real juice from fresh
squeezed fruit, and iced tea without sweetener.

Have a great day!

Dr. Chris Frykman

Shakopee, MN