Happy Holidays!!!
Please note that our office will only be closed on December 25th, December 28th and January 1st.
Author: ybevolution
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WE WILL BE CLOSED ON OCTOBER 12/2015 FOR THANKSGIVING.
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WE WILL BE CLOSED FOR THE CIVIC HOLIDAY/ AUGUST 3 2015
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We’re celebrating Your Body Evolution’s success with a great new promotion!
What a half-year this has been. With your help, we’ve enjoyed the most successful period of growth and expansion in our history.
Our patient community has grown steadily in number and we’ve been able to connect with more people than ever to help them change their bodies, and their lives. In fact, we estimate that the program has helped patients shed about 30,000 lbs of total body weight in the past six months alone. That’s not even taking into account the number of people who can now walk without assistance, have been able to stop taking medications such as insulin due to their astounding weight-loss, or who simply feel better about themselves and the opportunities they can now seize thanks to their renewed (or entirely new) pursuit of health and wellness.
As many of you have noticed, there have been major developments on the marketing side. We not only launched our new brand, Your Body Evolution, but have also introduced our new website, have been active on social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter, and we have a new mobile app in the works—more on that in a later blog.
We also launched a successful summer promotion where patients already on the Your Body Evolution program were offered a special ‘thank you’—namely, the chance to buy two months of the program and receive one free. Needless to say, the promotion has proven to be an overwhelming success with hundreds of patients taking advantage of the opportunity to lose weight and feel great for less than any other weight-loss program on the market—and with far superior success rates.
Now that the promo has wrapped up for fall—and because we’ve been listening to patient feedback and have such strong faith in our program—we’re making some subtle changes to our fee and commitment structure with the introduction of a new, limited-time offer. Here’s how it’s going to work: Clients can now join on a month-to-month basis. Or, if they decide to purchase two months of the program, they can enjoy their third free of charge. Why the change in policy? Our goal is to make the Your Body Evolution program as affordable and accessible as possible, so we’re making this change to ensure that our promise of weight-loss through wellness is available to everyone at any time.
So, that’s the big news for fall. But there’s one more thing I’d like to add.
All the business success in the world can’t describe the sheer joy I and my staff feel each and every day that we have the chance to help patients like you transform their bodies and see life through a new, reinvigorated lens. Growth in our patient base is great, but I’m truly committed to helping people live longer and better, not to mention helping them engage in daily activities that were only a dream before they took the initiative to re-claim their health with our help. As a doctor, I can say that each and every one of you helps me live out my professional passion every time you step into our clinic. For that, I offer a heartfelt ‘thanks.’
In my next blog I’ll be offering up a little more news on our new mobile app. Until then, stay well and keep enjoying your body evolution.
Dr. Jeffrey Brown, Medical Director
Your Body Evolution -
Don’t think stress can cause weight gain? Think again
For the average person, approaching the daily challenges of life can be a lot like drinking a strong cup of coffee—it can be stimulating, but can also keep you up all night! Expenses, work deadlines, and family responsibilities are a daily reality for all of us. In a word, it’s stressful! A question I’m often asked is whether stress can cause weight gain. The answer, unfortunately, is yes.
At its most primal level, stress is our body’s adaptive response to potential dangers, and it’s a jungle out there. Imagine a gazelle on the savannah suddenly faced with the prospect of becoming a lion’s next meal. Our default response to danger is fight or flight. And a smart gazelle always runs.
Our response to stress is not fundamentally different. There are times when we run, but more often than not in life we have to stand and fight (after all, our families’ survival and well-being might depend on it). An important distinction is that once the gazelle is out of danger, it immediately goes back to the business of grazing, relaxed, without a care in the world. For us, stress is unremitting. From a physiological perspective, our bodies automatically keep pumping out chemicals as if a lion is constantly stalking us. Without our knowledge, the consequences can be devastating not only to our waistline, but to our overall health and wellness.
Information about our environment is constantly streaming at us via our five senses. We experience them through what I like to call our 6th faculty—our brain. While we are generally aware of the conscious thoughts that control our personality traits and actions, the primitive part of our brain works 24/7, automatically responding to what our subconscious believes is in our best interest: survival.
Historically, our species has had to contend with two important and very real threats. The first was starvation; the second was injury or death at the hands of predators or rivals. Fast-forward to the present and our landscape has changed dramatically. Unfortunately, our bodies are still responding as if they were living in the past. Starvation? Think the exact opposite. Hunting and gathering is now limited to the grocery store, restaurants, and our refrigerators, even though our body chemistry is perpetually in a fight-or-flight standby mode.
This has led to a condition I call autonomic confusion. The autonomic nervous system is what controls the automatic responses I’ve been describing. Our brain is confused as to how the body should respond. Is it living on easy street, or is it under constant attack?
Permit me to inject a little more science as I explain my point. In response to possible attack, the sympathetic nervous arm of the autonomic nervous system releases chemicals to deal with what it believes to be an immediate danger that could result in wounds, bleeding and possible infection—heart-rate and blood pressure increase, blood sugars rise, blood clotting steps up, cholesterol production increases and inflammatory cytokines are at the ready. It’s the perfect storm for the majority of our biggest killers. Of course, the threat never quite materializes. The parasympathetic arm steps up to the plate and, in addition to the actions of fat-storing hormones such as insulin on our dietary sugars, the net effect is to take the sugar produced by the liver and borrowed from the more accessible and harmless peripheral fat (in preparation for battle) and to restore it in the more dangerous and less accessible visceral fat. That would be the kind that forces us to purchase clothes in ever-increasing sizes.
I believe this autonomic confusion is at the root of why so many individuals struggle with their weight and why we’re on so many medications for chronic illnesses (obesity-related or not).
This concerning situation reminds me of a saying we used to recite as children that needs to be rebooted for the majority of us as adults—sticks and stones can break our bones, but stress can really kill us!
In a future blog I’ll offer my tips for combating everyday stress en route to a healthier life. Until then, stay well and keep enjoying your body evolution.
Dr. Jeffrey Brown, Medical Director
Your Body Evolution -
Despite what some say, obesity isn’t a disease. Here’s why
A year ago, millions of North Americans contracted a brand new disease they already had—obesity.
You may be a bit confused, so let me explain.
In June 2013, the American Medical Association officially declared obesity a disease. Seeing as how my last blog drew attention to the bias and prejudice that over-weight individuals face on a daily basis, you can imagine that my initial reaction to the news was one of total elation. Finally, a well-respected medical organization was labelling obesity exactly what it is. At least that was how I felt back then.
A year later, I’m revising my original position and asking myself whether obesity really should be considered a disease?
On the one hand there is no denying the American Medical Association’s declaration has helped create awareness and made advocacy easier. I’m hopeful this will translate into increased research, as well as funding for the development of innovative approaches for the treatment of obesity. A University of Minnesota study has already confirmed that the obesity-as-disease message has helped remove some of the shame associated with being overweight. On the other hand, the same study cemented the perception that an individual’s weight is a fixed state—any attempt at weight-loss is futile—with the consequences being continued poor food choices, weight gain and declining health.
I believe that if we’re ever going to win the war against obesity, we must re-align the internal compass of the dieter to focus it on self-determinism. That means helping them navigate from a vicious cycle of negativity to a self-fulfilling state of limitless development.
The challenge for the physician is that there are almost unlimited ways the body can say ‘ouch.’ Traditionally, doctors have organized and grouped signs and symptoms, then given names to the common diseases. In medical school we were taught how to match the treatment (usually medications) to the disease. This approach is only somewhat satisfying, at best. Our diagnoses (since we defined the disease) have almost 100% sensitivity—in other words, when you’re looking for illness, you always find it—however when it comes to what’s really troubling our patients, those diagnoses generally lack specificity or validity customized to that specific individual.
Herein lies part of the problem with the obesity-as-disease model. The usual treatment regimen is: eat less and move around a little more! This approach, as we know all too well, isn’t working. Medications for weight-loss have proven to be ineffective and often dangerous. I believe that when the body says ‘ouch,’ it’s simply saying that something is wrong.
With that in mind, I’m asserting that obesity isn’t a disease. It’s just another way the body has to tell us that something’s wrong. I believe as physicians we must first identify the individual metabolic processes that have caused the weight gain, and then correct them. The American Medical Association states—and I agree—that “obesity is a multi-metabolic and hormonal state.” The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has declared obesity “public enemy number one!” We must continue to pursue forward-thinking remedies for obesity and its significant medical, psychological and socio-economic consequences.
The obesity-as-disease message might be a little like a Trojan horse. On the surface it’s an unexpected gift. But to those of us treating obesity on a daily basis, it seems to be pulling up lame.
In my next blog I’ll tackle the question of whether food should be considered an addiction. Until then, stay well and keep enjoying your body evolution.
Dr. Jeffrey Brown, Medical Director
Your Body Evolution
Weight Loss Through Wellness -
The weight-gain double standard—and why it needs to change
Ever wonder why, when a person loses weight rapidly, they’re sent for a battery of tests by their doctor, but when they gain weight they’re told to eat less and exercise more?
So did I. In fact, the decision to wind down my family practice and found Your Body Evolution—a clinic devoted solely to helping patients lose weight and achieve overall wellness—was prompted by a couple of key observations around that common physician reaction.
The first was that more of my patients were showing symptoms of weight-related conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. The second was that many of my colleagues—indeed, the medical community in general—seemed to be laying the blame for that weight gain strictly on the lifestyle habits of overweight individuals. These patients weren’t unhealthy or didn’t have underlying medical issues that needed examining, many of my colleagues argued. They ate too much and didn’t exercise enough. They were lazy and slovenly. Want to know why our annual health care expenditure is increasing dramatically? Look no further than these folks, so many of them claimed.
But I knew that wasn’t the full story. We acknowledge that almost everyone can use our guidance and help on the nutrition and exercise front, but that doesn’t explain why, when a patient loses weight unexpectedly, a physician investigates it aggressively—rapid weight-loss could be a sign of the onset of a disease such as cancer, for example. When they gain weight, however, it’s usually written off as a result of poor lifestyle choices. I recognized this was a complete double standard and that obesity really is a socially-condoned prejudice.
Empirical studies support my view. According to a 2012 report by the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity citing previous U.S.-based studies, the prevalence of weight-related discrimination increased to 12 per cent of American adults in 2004-06, up from 7 per cent a decade earlier. Furthermore, the report notes a trend I’ve seen emerge anecdotally through interaction with my patients over the years: over-weight people not only to bear the burden of their condition in the form of physical challenges and lower self-esteem, but also in career limitations. That means lower maximum incomes compared to non-overweight people over the course of their careers, fewer promotions and a general perception of laziness and lacklustre self-discipline on the part of their colleagues and managers. Citing a 1982 study of 400 doctors in the U.S., the report notes that a whopping one-third of physician respondents admitted that obesity was ‘a condition to which they respond negatively.’ If even doctors carry a clear prejudice towards their overweight patients, it’s no wonder the entire medical community has spent decades pursuing non-solutions to this growing epidemic.
So, what does cause obesity?
Let’s be clear: overweight people don’t necessarily eat more. Obesity is not only about indulgence and a lack of willpower. It emerges from a combination of factors including genetics, lifestyle, environment and nutrition. There is no single magic causal factor that makes a person overweight. I learned over time and through clinical research that obesity is a sign that something is wrong with the body, which is a highly-complex piece of machinery with unlimited ways to say ‘ouch.’ Weight gain is just one of them.
The focus need not be on laying blame, but on finding out why these patients gain weight in the first place.
Perhaps more importantly, I found that as patients become healthier, they lose weight quicker—which is the basis for the Your Body Evolution system and the reason why we’ve managed to help thousands of Canadians lose weight and keep it off for good. Another important lesson I learned: weight-loss needs to be managed by a doctor who understands the metabolic processes that lead to weight gain. Otherwise, that complex process is left to the patient to manage on their own—and as we know from the poor success rates of most diets, weight-loss results typically fall far short of expectations.
This is the time to overcome our societal double standards regarding weight gain, and finally treat it as a curable medical condition. Only then will we start putting the brakes on the obesity epidemic and reverse years of inefficient and ineffective weight-loss advice.
In my next post, I’ll offer five simple diet preparation tips to help maximize your weight-loss results. Until then, stay well and keep enjoying your body evolution.
Dr. Jeffrey Brown, Medical Director
Your Body Evolution
Weight Loss Through Wellness -
Your survival guide for dining out (part 3)
In part two of Your Survival Guide for Dining Out, I offered 15 strategies to help you eat the right way when dining out at restaurants. That means taking very deliberate steps to ensure your customized Your Body Evolution journey to weight loss and wellness continues without any hiccups.
In the third and final installment of Your Survival Guide for Dining Out, I want to talk about making healthy menu choices. That’s right—I’m talking about the tough and tempting part of any dining experience.
Remember that restaurants love to cook with lots of sugar, fat and salt because all three are great tasting, cheap ingredients. Do they have to use such large quantities of this unhealthy triumvirate? No, but their job is to make delicious food that draws you back to their establishment. Your job is to make the right nutritional choices to ensure your body evolution keeps moving full-steam ahead. It only takes one unhealthy meal to derail an entire week of weight-loss work, after all.
With that in mind, here are five common food-ordering challenges for dieters dining out—and how to overcome them:
Ordering alcohol—The majority of Canadians enjoy a drink every now and then, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But for those of us trying to lose weight and improve our overall wellness, alcohol is best avoided. That’s because a standard-size glass of wine, spirits or beer contains between 100 to 200 calories. Have a few drinks over the course of a meal, and you can see how quickly those extra calories can add up. If you do want a drink over dinner, limit consumption to a maximum of two (less if you’re driving), and opt for dry wine or spirits such as vodka or gin mixed with diet pop. If you want beer—and it’s by no means the best beverage option—have the real thing and avoid ‘light’ brands altogether. Why? For one thing, light beer tastes terrible, and most people who order it only end up over indulging. Another reason to avoid alcohol altogether is that because you’re reducing your caloric intake, you’ll have a lower alcohol tolerance and can expect to get tipsy faster. Because intoxication only lowers your inhibitions, you’re far more likely to order a plate of nachos when you’ve had a few too many than if you abstained in the first place. Also, never drink alcohol on an empty stomach. It only further speeds the intoxication process, wreaks havoc on your digestive system and can seriously impair liver function.
Ordering high-calorie ‘treat’ drinks —Many restaurants offer a range of tasty potables jam-packed with full-fat (and very high-calorie) milk, cream and/or sugar—not to mention other indulgent additives such as chocolate or caramel sauce. A milkshake alone can hide a meal full of calories. My advice is to avoid these drinks altogether and stick to beverages like water or diet pop.
Ordering appetizers—Restaurateurs are not biochemists, but without realizing they take advantage of how our bodies release insulin during a meal. How? When they drop a basket of bread on your table, for example, they’re kick-starting a metabolic chain reaction that ensures you experience a secondary insulin peak right around the time they offer those tempting cheesecakes, tiramisus and ice creams. That’s right: they’re not just offering bread as a ‘thank you’ for visiting their establishment. To deal with this type of temptation, ask your server to remove all bread from your table or not deliver it in first place, or pass it around to everyone and then suggest taking it off the table. Your friends and family should be happy to oblige if they support your weight-loss goals.
That’s one problem solved. Now it’s time to make nutritionally-friendly appetizer choices. The problem at most restaurants is that appetizers tend to be fried, loaded with high-calorie cheese or accompanied by sauces with off-the-chart calorie and fat counts. Those are all obvious non-starters. But if you do order apps, start with low-fat proteins such as shrimp cocktails or Thai chicken skewers, vegetables (minus the dip) and salad. Again when ordering salad, be sure to ask for dressing on the side and limit the amount to one or two tablespoons. An ever better idea is to bring your own light dressing from home. Another option: request vinegar and olive oil to use as a salad topping, but always avoid sugar-laden vinaigrette dressings. When it comes to soups, say ‘no thanks’ to cream soups, purees of starchy vegetables such as potatoes, or anything with noodles when dieting. If there’s no good option, such as a plain broth or consume, order another diet-friendly appetizer instead.
And when someone at your table suggests sharing a plate of nachos—and at some point in your weight-loss journey, someone will—hold firm and remind them that deep-fried chips are a non-starter when it comes to achieving your weight-loss and wellness goals on the Your Body Evolution program.
Ordering desserts— I’ve yet to see a restaurant dessert menu offer selections that would be suitable for anyone following a mainstream diet. You name the delectable—from cheesecake to ice cream to key lime pie—and they’re all packed with sugar and fat. Your best approach is to avoid dessert altogether. Can’t resist the temptation? I’m not a fan of replacing dessert with other treats, but I often advise patients on the maintenance phase of the Your Body Evolution program to eat a sugar-free mint or go for a walk when their party is indulging. A tiny after-dinner mint can help trick your brain into thinking it’s getting sugar, therefore prompting it to quit blasting out craving signals. Also, once you’ve had a mint and go to eat something sweet, it won’t taste nearly as good. So, think of a sugar-free, after-dinner mint as a deterrent, kind of like drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth. When all else fails and you know you can’t say no, get up and go for a walk. But if you are going to succumb and are in the maintenance phase of your diet, then order the dessert you actually want to eat—and share it. Use a teaspoon and limit yourself to three to five bites, with at least 30 seconds between each. That may seem like a small portion, but it should be enough to satiate your cravings without derailing your diet.
Limiting portion sizes—The vast majority of restaurants serve meals with what they believe to be good value, not appropriate portion sizing, in mind. That means you’ll often be served meals that contain twice the calories needed to satisfy the appetite of the average person. Worse, it’s often high-carbohydrate, but inexpensive, foods such as rice and French fries that load most plates. Think before you order and ask for a smaller amount of starches such as potatoes with your meal, instead requesting extra vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower. When your plate arrives and is inevitably over-packed with food, use the tip I outlined earlier and move excess goodies to a side plate before you start eating. Then use the handy method to judge portion sizes. A salad portion should be about the size of two hands cupped together, meat portions should be about the width and size of the palm of your hand, vegetables should cover half a plate or be the equivalent of your outstretched hand and starch portions should be no larger than the size of a tennis ball. Oh, and always remember to substitute starches such as potatoes for classic vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower or peppers whenever possible.
And my last piece of advice: avoid any food that’s fried or loaded with creamy sauces or cheese.
In my next post, I’ll discuss a common weight-related double standard—and why it needs to be erased. Until then, stay well and keep enjoying your body evolution.Dr. Jeffrey Brown, Medical Director
Your Body Evolution
Weight Loss Through Wellness -
Your survival guide for dining out (part 2)
In my last blog post, I outlined a way to lose weight faster : cutting down on dining out.
You’re probably thinking: Do you really expect me to give up my life to be on a diet? Absolutely not. You’ll notice I didn’t ask you to stop eating at restaurants altogether. That’s because Your Body Evolution is a realistic weight-loss plan designed with long-term sustainability in mind. Many diets fail because they don’t give specific or realistic instructions on how to eat out. Sometimes you simply can’t get home to prepare a meal or, for whatever reason, haven’t packed a healthy meal, so a restaurant is the only option. Besides, dining out is a fun way to try new foods, socialize with friends, family and business colleagues. While cooking for yourself at home is the best policy, the odd meal out is perfectly acceptable—but only once in a while, and as I said in that last post, only if you’re sure the restaurant offers suitable nutritional options or will cater to your needs with food modifications. If not, it’s time to pick another restaurant.
Instead, I encourage you to eat out, but with three caveats. First, you have to make an honest affirmation that goes like this: ‘I know why I’m overweight, I have no reason to expect my weight to be anything other than what it is. In the past, I didn’t know so I made mistakes and I programmed myself for weight gain. Now that I know, I will no longer make excuses.’ The second caveat is to agree that no matter what happens, you’ll never say ‘I had no choice but to eat (insert food here).’ There’s always a choice. The third caveat: If you’re unable to say no, then simply don’t go.
In part two of your Survival Guide for Dining Out, I want to keep the focus on how to eat when dining at restaurants. Remember that sometimes it’s the simplest tactics that can help you stay on track to achieve your weight-loss goals. While it’s easy to over-complicate dieting, it’s much harder to take a straightforward approach. With that in mind, here are 15 tactics for diet-friendly restaurant dining:
Each week, pull out your calendar and mark down the number of times you anticipate eating out, make a list of challenges you foresee and write down strategies to overcome each one.
If you are going to a restaurant to socialize, eat before or after, or order a healthy salad (dressing on the side, please!).
Never tell the people you’re meeting that you’re on a diet—that becomes an open invitation for sabotage. Instead, say you’re trying to lose weight because you’re on a nutrition kick with the goal of looking and feeling better. People are far more likely to support your diet goals if you’re attempting to shed pounds to benefit your health rather than to shrink your waistline.
Try to dine out with people who support your weight-loss goals, respect your privacy and personal choices—and try to solicit their support to achieve your diet objectives.
As mentioned in my last post, call ahead to the restaurant where you’ll be dining and inform the manager that you have special dietary requirements (fibbing and saying it’s due to an allergy is perfectly acceptable). Now take it a step further. Ask for the name of a manager on duty or a waiter who you should contact when you arrive. Once there, discuss your needs and remind them that you’d like your dietary accommodations to remain private.
When dining out, if you even suspect your food isn’t prepared in a way that suits your dietary requirements, send it back. Don’t start picking food out in the hope that you can make it a diet-friendly meal.
Study the whole menu before you arrive at a restaurant and determine which sides are available with each meal. Why? Side dishes are often the most fat- and calorie-laden part of any restaurant meal. Then, take control of your meal and be assertive. If that healthy quinoa side dish only comes with chicken and you’re ordering fish with creamy mashed potatoes, ask them to switch the sides. Any good restaurant will accommodate a change as simple as this.
Don’t be seduced by the daily specials—you should have already determined what you’re going to eat before you arrive at a restaurant.
If you’re a visual person and can’t resist ordering tempting food as it passes by your table, turn your chair and face away from the kitchen.
Restaurants tend to give you far more food than you would ever prepare for yourself at home. Make meal sharing a habit whenever possible, and request an extra plate at the beginning of the meal. When your plate arrives, put the excess food onto the second plate and take it home or share with your guests.
Order salads at a restaurant, but bring your own dressing. Virtually every eatery-made salad dressing is laden with fat, sugar and wasted calories. One more thing about dressing: dress your salad, don’t drown it. Dipping lettuce in dressing is a useful tactic to avoid using too much. The same goes for dipping other foods in sauces.
The order in which you eat food is also very important. It’s a good strategy to always start your meal with a salad. The little bit of allowed fat in the dressing will trigger hunger hormones that make you full faster.
Now it’s time for your main plate. Start with the vegetables (green, leafy ones if possible), and remember the portion should be roughly the size of your outstretched hand. The reason? Vegetables provide density and will fill you before you make it to those tempting and fattening starches. Then eat your proteins, again keeping portions to about the size and depth of their palm. Then finish with starches, which should be consumed last and portions should never exceed the approximate size of a tennis ball. Of course, remember to move excess food onto your second plate before you start eating.
When ordering proteins, your best options are grilled fish or chicken. Red meat is OK on occasion, but only cooked on the grill and without butter or marinades.
Never sit longer than one hour. Insulin gets released by our bodies in two peaks, and the second one is about an hour after eating your first bite. That’s where you’ll be in the danger zone for getting your second wind and maybe eating more or ordering dessert. Have a craving for something sweet? Suck on a sugar- and calorie-free mint instead.
In my final installment of Your Survival Guide for Dining Out, I’ll provide specifics on what to order when at a restaurant. Until then, stay well and keep enjoying your body evolution.
Dr. Jeffrey Brown, Medical Director
Your Body Evolution
Weight Loss Through Wellness -
Worst Things to Say To Someone Trying to Lose Weight
We know that your family and friends love you, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always support your weight-loss efforts. Without meaning to, they can often say or do things that will derail your weight-loss success. We call them ‘saboteurs,’ and we’ll help you learn how to deal with their inadvertent pressures in a way that won’t hurt your loved ones’ feelings, but still keep you moving towards your weight-loss goals. This article describes some of the worst things that people hear when they are trying to lose weight:
Worst Things to Say To Someone Trying to Lose Weight.
Have similar experiences? Let us know.