Our next [LivFit] class is fast approaching in just a few weeks. I thought this might be a great time to share some of the information that we cover in our three-week seminar series. We like to teach this important nutritional information by using case studies taken directly from patients of the office. These real-life examples help to bridge the gap from information to application. What good is information if you cannot apply it?

Here’s the first of our two case studies. (Watch our blog for the second case study!)

[LivFit] Case Study #1: Detox
Jackie has just scheduled her next beach trip, which is set to kick off in a few weeks. Unfortunately, she has had a stressful past few months with work and recently returned from a long weekend where she was a bridesmaid in her best friend’s wedding. Needless to say, she doesn’t feel the best about her body right now. She has tried to refrain from her favorite desserts and the occasional glass of wine but has rarely been successful. Jackie needs to detox.

Detox is a short-term cleanup process with the express goal of breaking bad habits and kickstarting your metabolism. It is not supposed to be a sustainable long-term plan. It works best if it is only for a few days, and it requires some effort. Remember, detox is like spring cleaning. It is not always fun, but the results are worth it. Hebrews 12:11 says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

A little more about Jackie:
She is 31 years old with three children ages 8, 4, and 2.

Health History

  • History of borderline high blood pressure during pregnancy.
  • Gall bladder removed at age 22.
  • Diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome three years ago.
  • Diagnosed with mild depression 12 years ago and placed on Zoloft and Cymbalta.

Vitals

  • Height: 5’5”
  • Weight: 159
  • BMI: 31.9
  • BF%: 36%
  • B/P: 133/83

Lifestyle Factors

  • Sedentary job of 40 hours per week.
  • Rates stress as moderate to severe with financial and family stressors being the highest.
  • Exercise is less than three hours per week. She has been walking with a friend.

Current Complaints
Daily fatigue, pain in shoulders and hips constantly, unable to lose weight, and mild depression.

Food Diary

  • Breakfast: most of the time nothing, occasionally a banana or cereal.
  • Lunch: salad, sandwich, or fast food.
  • Dinner: frequently eats out, pasta, cheeseburgers, pizza, frozen meals, mac and cheese, or chicken nuggets.
  • Drinks: juice and/or milk for breakfast, sweet tea or soda during the day, occasional alcohol in the evenings or weekends, water on occasion

Jackie is not much different than most people in America. She runs a busy household, work is stressful, she eats whatever is convenient, and she takes an antidepressant to help her get by.

What Jackie doesn’t realize is that all of this is wrecking her metabolism. The stress of life is causing her adrenal glands to produce cortisol. Her lack of sleep is preventing her from clearing the cortisol and, therefore, she is prone to putting on weight. The chemicals found in the foods in her diet are creating an environment for disease and depression. These chemicals alter her brain, causing her to crave more of the same foods while creating a state of anxiousness and unhappiness. Even her medication, with the promise of lifting her mood, is working against her as it decreases the motility of her gut and causes her to gain more weight.

If Jackie continues down this road, the eventual outcome will sound familiar and tragic. As the sugar-laden convenient foods continue to disrupt the natural flora of beneficial bacteria in Jackie’s gut, disease will soon set in. This natural flora protects her body and strengthens her immune system. But after years of neglect, the healthy bacteria will reduce and give way to unhealthy varieties including various forms of yeast. This will make her gut more permeable, allowing harmful bacteria into her body while increasing her risk of autoimmune disorders, like Hashimoto’s disease.

So how can Jackie fix it?

[LivFit] Recommendations
Detoxification program: 72-hour detox that is high in antioxidants, Omega-3 fats, fermentable starches, and fermented foods.

Exercise Recommendations: Walking program, yoga, water aerobics

Supplementation:

  • L-glutamine–1 Tbl morning and night
  • Fish/Flax oil– 1 Tbl per day
  • Curcumin– 3 capsules per day
  • 1000mg of GABA
  • 500 mg of 5-HTP
  • 1500 mg of L-Tyrosine

Jackie’s start to a healthier body can begin with a 72-hour detox. This is only a start, but it can be a strong beginning to a long journey to rid her body of the damage caused by years of bad eating. I have included a 24-hour snippet of the detox program to show you how detoxing can still taste good.

Breakfast: Sweet Potato and Leek Omelette – Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 TB coconut oil
2 cups (¾ pound) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 cup sliced leek, preferably the white part
6 eggs
2 TB coconut milk
pinch of cayenne ¼ tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1 TB fresh parsley, chopped to garnish

Directions:
Heat coconut oil in a large sauté pan or skillet at medium heat, add sweet potato and sauté until tender and well browned.
Add leek and continue to cook, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat together eggs, coconut milk, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
Stir in sweet potato and leek mixture and then separate the mixture into 2 equal parts.
Reheat the skillet to medium heat, add more oil if necessary, and pour in 1 part of mixture. With a fork, stir the mixture in the center 2 or 3 times.
After 2 minutes, fold the omelet over with a spatula.
Continue to cook for 1 minute and then remove the omelet to a plate and garnish with parsley.
Repeat this process with the second omelet.

Lunch: Chicken Caprese Salad – Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 grilled chicken breast- served hot or cold
3 large tomatoes, sliced into ¼ inch slices
1 ball mozzarella, cut into ¼ inch slices
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
good quality olive oil
balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Layer the tomatoes and mozzarella in a bowl and add basil leaves on top. Whisk the olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl in a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio, for example, 3 TB of olive oil to 1 TB vinegar. Drizzle the dressing over the Caprese salad. Top with chicken.
Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper, and serve.

Dinner: Beef Bone Broth – Serves Many
Ingredients:
4 pounds meaty rib or neck bones
4 or more quarts cold filtered water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 onions, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
several sprigs of fresh thyme, tied together
1 teaspoon dried black peppercorns, crushed
l bunch parsley

Directions:
Place the meaty bones in a roasting pan and brown at 350 degrees in the oven. When well browned (20-30min), add to a large pot along with the vegetables. Pour the fat out of the roasting pan, add cold water to the pan, set over a high flame and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen up coagulated juices. Add this liquid to the pot. Add the apple cider vinegar and any additional water, if necessary, to cover the bones; but the liquid should come no higher than within one inch of the rim of the pot, as the volume expands slightly during cooking. Bring to a boil. A large amount of scum will come to the top, and it is important to remove this with a spoon. After you have skimmed, reduce heat and add the thyme and crushed peppercorns.

Simmer stock for at least 12 and as long as 72 hours. Just before finishing, add the parsley and simmer another 10 minutes. You will now have a pot of rather repulsive-looking brown liquid containing globs of gelatinous and fatty material. It doesn’t even smell particularly good. But don’t despair. After straining you will have a delicious and nourishing clear broth that is packed full of health benefits.
Remove bones with tongs or a slotted spoon. Strain the stock into a large bowl. Let cool in the refrigerator and remove the congealed fat that rises to the top. Transfer to smaller containers and to the freezer for long-term storage.

Not up for making your own bone broth? Add a powdered bone broth to any vegetable stock or plain hot water. It can be a simple addition to any great soup or crock-pot meal that enhances its nutritional value. Bone Broth Powder is 10% off through March 15! Stop in our Roanoke chiropractic office to pick yours up.

Conclusion
Hopefully this glimpse into what a [LivFit] lifestyle looks like can give you hope that you can make a change. If you would like more information on our upcoming seminar, speak to our staff or check out the [LivFit] page on our web site. We would love to have you join us!

 

 

Dr. Daryl Rich, DC, CSCS