You’ve just been rear-ended. Your heart is pounding, your hands are shaking, and you’re not sure what just happened. What do you do next? Should you call the police? Get your insurance company on the phone? Call the hotline that you’ve seen advertised on billboards and television?
Your first call should be to the police to report the accident . An officer will arrive at the scene to take statements, assess the damage, and determine who was at fault and write any necessary citations. If you are having difficulty breathing, experiencing blurred vision, double vision, nausea, difficulty moving your arms and legs or suspect you may have any broken bones, request to be taken the the emergency room. Otherwise, your first call needs to be to a qualified chiropractic physician.
Why should you trust a chiropractor to diagnose and treat injuries from an auto accident? Most chiropractors focus on musculoskeletal injuries like neck pain, back pain, headaches, sciatica, disc herniations, and whiplash. As a result they are extensively trained in determining what diagnostic testing is necessary, and if your pain requires a consultation from a specialist such as an orthopedist or neurologist. A chiropractor determine the type and severity of your injuries, and how they can be best treated.
It is common for chiropractors to use a combination of therapies to help heal the injuries from your car accident. In addition to gentle chiropractic adjustments, therapies such as acupuncture, massage, electric muscle stimulation, rehab exercises, and spinal decompression are also very common modalities used.
You will also want to make sure that your chiropractor is comfortable working with personal injury attorneys. Not every auto accident case requires the guidance of an attorney, but if yours does it is critical that your doctors and lawyer are on the same page. Ask your chiropractor if they have experience working with attorneys, writing narrative reports, or performing impairment ratings. This is where your doctor can make or break your personal injury case. For this reason, many family doctors won’t even see patients who have been in a car accident- they don’t want the hassle of dealing with auto insurance companies and personal injury attorneys.
So if you’ve recently been in an auto accident and are experiencing common symptoms such as neck pain, whiplash, numbness in the arms or legs, back pain, headaches, or difficulty concentrating, immediately consult with a qualified chiropractor who can help your recovery.
Automobile accidents are a significant cause of neck pain, disc injuries, back pain, migraines, and many other conditions. When an car accident happens, most of us don’t have a clear picture of what we should do next. First, make sure all of the occupants of your vehicle are safe and secure. You might need to move the car off the road to a safer location.
Once you are safe, call the police immediately. It is critical that a police report it filed to document the damage to your vehicle and who was at fault in the collision. These facts may become critical down the line if there is any litigation related to the accident.
If you have sustained serious injuries, it may be necessary for you to be taken to the emergency room. They will perform any necessary x rays or CT scans to make sure you don’t have any broken bones or internal injuries. At this point you will most likely be discharged with some pain pills, muscle relaxers, and anti-inflammatories, and told to follow up with your family doctor.
This is where things can become complicated. Many family doctors simply will not see a patient who has been in an accident, even if you have been established at their office for years. This is not because they are rude, incompetent, or lazy, it is because they typically are not comfortable dealing with the legal complications, billing hassles, and other issues related to treating personal injury cases.
For this reason, it is critical that you seek the care of a chiropractor who is skilled in treating automobile accident victims. Chiropractors are experts at treating musculoskeletal injuries such as whiplash, back pain, headaches, and sciatica. A good chiropractor will be able to order any necessary x rays, MRIs, nerve tests, or other procedures. Although it’s rare that car accident victims will require surgery, your chiropractor will be able to determine if your injuries will necessitate you seeing a surgeon for a consultation.
So if you or someone you know has been injured in an accident, now you know exactly what to do. As soon as you can, contact a local chiropractor to help you on the road to recovery!
It’s been too long since I’ve updated the blog! As my patients know, we’ve been collecting money to help a single mother and her two young daughters have Christmas this year. With a $20 donation, all patients could receive a free adjustment as my way to say thanks! We also extended the opportunity for all friends and family to become a new patient and get their initial exam and x rays for only $20 (restrictions apply with Medicare).
Even in these tough times, it was inspiring to see the how generous our patients could be. We collected over $2000, as well as assorted toys, toiletries, and items for the family. We even received a donation for an afternoon tea from local business Tea with Lee! Because of the outpouring of support, we’ve been able to up the stakes, adopting 3 local families instead of just one!
I want to say thanks for all of those who gave so generously for these families in need. Let’s all remember that the real reason for Christmas is the birth of our Saviour, and I can’t think of any better way to glorify His name than helping out those in need!
Remember your favorite part of elementary school? No, not recess….FIELD TRIPS! At Ocala Integrative Medicine, we’re still not too old to take field trips (not even Kathy)!
We recently visited Rosas Farms, located just north of Ocala in Sparr (yes, there really is a place called Sparr). You may have heard me talk about them before- this is the only farm in the entire state of Florida that raises 100% organic grass-fed beef. As a self-professed grass-fed beef afficianado, I was thrilled when Al and Erin Rosas invited my family and staff to come share a meal with them and take a tour of the farm.
As far as the food was concerned, if you’ve every had the creations of Chef Al Rosas (The Organic Chef), you won’t be disappointed. We were served a spread of tomato and mozzeralla salad, organic potato salad, some kind of ridiculously good won-ton type thing (I’m not enough of a foodie to know exactly what I ate), and the best part of the meal- a marinated hanging tenderloin. The Rosas’ daughter Lola, who is quite the budding young chef, made an orange meringue pie and chocolate torte for dessert.
After lunch we were given the grand tour. First stop was the flock of free-range chickens who roam the farm. If you’ve ever heard the term free-range chicken used, it often means that the chickens are given a few minutes a day to mill around in a dirty, open air pen. As you can see in the picture of my daughter Ellie with her Grandpa, the Rosas Farms chickens are given run of the farm!
We even gave Kathy a flashback to her days growing up on the farm when she was put in charge of the chicken coop!
We also got to see the wild boars that are raised on the farm. These are the same hogs that run wild in central Florida, and on Rosas farms they are raised naturally for sausage, bacon, and all kind of other delicious goodies.
As much as I enjoyed all of the animals that the Rosas are raising, my favorite part of the field trip was getting to introduce Ellie to all of the animals that she’s seen in her books at home. At five months old she isn’t making any mooing or oink oink noises just yet, but she sure is cute! In order to fulfill my duties as a proud papa, I’m obligated to post pictures of my 100% free-range baby girl!
All I know is that if the Rosas decide to produce a line of organic baby food, they have their spokes-baby ready to go! Thanks to the Rosas family for their amazing hospitality to my family and my staff, and we can’t wait to visit again! If you’d like to make a trip of your own, check out Rosas Farms at www.rosasfarms.com!
This post if from the blog of Jay Parkinson M.D., a doctor who is on the forefront of healthcare reform. Read the list carefully, and ponder the implications this has on the way we view sickness and true health. Please feel free to post answers you’ve found in the comments section- I look forward to seeing some diverse opinions!
Where did our healthcare system come from?
Did someone architect our healthcare system in the beginning?
Why is healthcare so expensive?
What is a rational, ideal path to reforming healthcare in America?
What is the main reason why we need healthcare reform?
Why is healthcare the fastest growing industry in America?
Why is it the most profitable industry in America?
How can such a huge industry exist with almost no means of accountability for the services it provides?
Who makes the most money in healthcare?
Who are the main players of healthcare?
Why do doctors profit off sickness and not wellness?
Why do 80% of doctors shun computers for paper and pen?
Diabetics spend 1/3 of Medicare expenses. How many diabetics, on average, get all of the recommended diabetic care? (10%)
What does walking half an hour five days a week do to the incidence of diabetes? (hint: it reduces diabetes by 40%)
Why doesn’t our country do the little things (like walking) that prevents 40% of 1/3 of Medicare’s expenses?
What percentage of the population spends 25% of our healthcare dollars? (0.5%)
What percentage of the population spends 3% of our healthcare dollars? (50%)
What percentage of the population spends 0% of our healthcare dollars (20%)
What percentage of healthcare costs come from chronic illness? (75%)
What drives the increasing cost of healthcare? (normal inflation; higher doctor salaries relative to other countries; new technology, drugs, science, and treatments; inefficient, unlinked, uncoordinated care; caregivers who profit from quantity, not quality; an aging population)
Why aren’t new drugs compared in efficacy to current, less expensive drugs before being approved by the FDA?
Why does a pacemaker that costs $50,000 become widely adopted when there is no evidence to show that that pacemaker is better than one that costs $5,000?
Of the $2.5 trillion spent on healthcare every year, how much of that goes to doctors’ salaries? (about 5%)
Of the $2.5 trillion spent on healthcare every year, how much of that is from malpractice premiums and malpractice payouts? (about 1.5%)
How much of a nurse’s day is spent with patients? (26%)
Why does using a CT scanner appropriately decrease a radiology department’s revenue by 30%?
What happens to the cost of a service when healthcare providers provide a service that competes on price? (look at Lasik surgery and breast augmentation)
How many medications are approved by the FDA per year? (about 20)
How many of those medications are new drugs and not just subtle tweaks of existing drugs in order to create new marketing campaigns and new revenues? (about 35%)
Out of $100 you spend on medications, how much of that goes toward R&D vs. marketing?
Is it a good idea that congresspeople who have little experience, training, or knowledge of the complexities of our healthcare system be the ones to massively reform 1/5th of our economy?
What happens when consumers of healthcare have very little understanding of the complexities of an industry? (our healthcare system and Madoff happen)
Those of you who have been patients of mine for any length of time know what a passionate advocate I am of anti-inflammatory eating. What on earth is that? For those of you new to the practice or who are not yet(did you catch that…not yet) patients, here’s a post from several months ago where I cover this in detail:
So you can see why I am such a rabid carnivore- because this is what our bodies are designed to eat! However, because of the widespread use of steroids, antibiotics and growth hormones, finding the right type of meat to put into your body can be nearly impossible. Incidentally, these substances that are found in virtually all of the milk and meat we consume are emerging as a culprit for the rapid onset of puberty we are seeing in children. Is it just me, or does the fifth grade look like it’s full of 17 year olds? We have dosed an entire generation with these hormones and we are just now seeing the effects (ok, the rant is over)!
Even if you are able to find meat that is free of these chemicals (Greenwise meat at Publix, etc) you are only half-way there. The type of food the cattle, chicken, pork, etc eat is just as important as the chemicals that are being used. Grandma used to tell you that “you are what you eat”, and the same principle applies to animals. Livestock that are fed large amounts of grain and corn (sources of omega-6 fats) become massive omega-6 delivery systems! Cattle are designed to eat grass- those 4 stomachs are there for a reason.
So why do we feed cattle food that makes them sick (why do you think they need all of those antibiotics) and ultimately makes us sick? Sing it with me class, “Money, Money Money Money”!
The average cow takes several years to grow large enough to provide meat. By pumping cattle full of steroids, growth hormone and large amount of corn the process can be shortened to around 14 months. It’s really quite sickening to see where our beef actually comes from (if you think this is bad you don’t even want to know about chickens). Michael Pollan, author of several great books, including “The Omnivores Dilemma” goes into even more detail about the process of how most cattle are raised in an interview with PBS that you can read here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/meat/interviews/pollan.html
If the human body optimally functions on fruit, vegetables, and healthy proteins and fats (grass-fed beef, bison, cold water fish, free range chicken, etc) then is it even possible to get these kinds of foods? Publix has an entire section devoted to them (kudos to them by the way), but even they don’t stock all of the essentials.
You have several options as to how you can handle this. You could simply throw in the towel. Decide it’s just too hard to worry about the type of food you eat and give in. Swing by the golden arches several times a day and load up on high fructose corn syrup (this stuff is literally almost in everything and despite what the commercials say should be avoided like the plague) and corn-fed beef.
Option number two would be to forage through the dozens of sites online that promote or sell grass-fed beef and other natural foods. You better be ready to invest some serious time price checking (prices range from $3.50 a pound to $12 a pound for grass-fed ground beef) as well as doing your homework on the farms to find out if they are feeding the cattle NOTHING but grass (many are supplementing with corn). This is exactly what I did until recently, and I had a great family-owned farm in Kentucky that I was purchasing grass-fed beef, sausage, roasts, and steaks from.
Or you could choose a third option (of course I’m saving the best for last)….Rosas Farms. I’m sure those ofyou who have lived in Ocala for any length of time have heard of them, but they are new to me (I guess I’ve been slaving away too many long days at the practice to get out much)! Chef Al Rosas and his wife Erin produce the only organic, grass-fed beef in the entire state of Florida! And they do it right here in Marion County. In addition to grass-fed beef they also stock grass-fed poultry and pork (yes, they will eat grass too), organic produce, artisan cheese, and much more.
As if this in and of it’s self was not great enough, their food is affordable enough that anyone can incorporate it into their diet. Grass-fed chicken breast is only $5 a pound, and grass-fed ground beef starts at around $3 a pound. I often hear patients say they can’t afford to eat healthy…hogwash (I don’t usually say this to my patients)! The same people who say this will push their cart into the grocery store and load up on processed lunch meat at the deli that runs $7 a pound and fill the rest of the cart with highly processed foods like potato chips and cookies that are certainly not cheap!
It might sound like I’m a paid spokesperson (apparently this is becoming common on blogs now days), but I’m not getting a dime for telling my patients/readers about this place. I simply couldn’t be happier with the vision that they have and the value that they are delivering. Plus, I’m supporting a local business and boosting the economy of Marion County. We’ll call this my own personal grass-fed stimulus plan (and it’s a whole lot cheaper than the governments)!
Check out the farm at www.rosasfarms.com for updates on their products, specials, and classes they offer. I’ll be heading out there soon for a family field trip, and anyone interested is welcome to join me- the more the merrier!
As head of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. David A. Kessler served two presidents and battled Congress and Big Tobacco. But the Harvard-educated pediatrician discovered he was helpless against the forces of a chocolate chip cookie.
In an experiment of one, Dr. Kessler tested his willpower by buying two gooey chocolate chip cookies that he didn’t plan to eat. At home, he found himself staring at the cookies, and even distracted by memories of the chocolate chunks and doughy peaks as he left the room. He left the house, and the cookies remained uneaten. Feeling triumphant, he stopped for coffee, saw cookies on the counter and gobbled one down.
“Why does that chocolate chip cookie have such power over me?” Dr. Kessler asked in an interview. “Is it the cookie, the representation of the cookie in my brain? I spent seven years trying to figure out the answer.”
The result of Dr. Kessler’s quest is a fascinating new book, “The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite” (Rodale).
During his time at the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Kessler maintained a high profile, streamlining the agency, pushing for faster approval of drugs and overseeing the creation of the standardized nutrition label on food packaging. But Dr. Kessler is perhaps best known for his efforts to investigate and regulate the tobacco industry, and his accusation that cigarette makers intentionally manipulated nicotine content to make their products more addictive.
In “The End of Overeating,” Dr. Kessler finds some similarities in the food industry, which has combined and created foods in a way that taps into our brain circuitry and stimulates our desire for more.
When it comes to stimulating our brains, Dr. Kessler noted, individual ingredients aren’t particularly potent. But by combining fats, sugar and salt in innumerable ways, food makers have essentially tapped into the brain’s reward system, creating a feedback loop that stimulates our desire to eat and leaves us wanting more and more even when we’re full.
Dr. Kessler isn’t convinced that food makers fully understand the neuroscience of the forces they have unleashed, but food companies certainly understand human behavior, taste preferences and desire. In fact, he offers descriptions of how restaurants and food makers manipulate ingredients to reach the aptly named “bliss point.” Foods that contain too little or too much sugar, fat or salt are either bland or overwhelming. But food scientists work hard to reach the precise point at which we derive the greatest pleasure from fat, sugar and salt.
The result is that chain restaurants like Chili’s cook up “hyper-palatable food that requires little chewing and goes down easily,” he notes. And Dr. Kessler reports that the Snickers bar, for instance, is “extraordinarily well engineered.” As we chew it, the sugar dissolves, the fat melts and the caramel traps the peanuts so the entire combination of flavors is blissfully experienced in the mouth at the same time.
Foods rich in sugar and fat are relatively recent arrivals on the food landscape, Dr. Kessler noted. But today, foods are more than just a combination of ingredients. They are highly complex creations, loaded up with layer upon layer of stimulating tastes that result in a multisensory experience for the brain. Food companies “design food for irresistibility,” Dr. Kessler noted. “It’s been part of their business plans.”
But this book is less an exposé about the food industry and more an exploration of us. “My real goal is, How do you explain to people what’s going on with them?” Dr. Kessler said. “Nobody has ever explained to people how their brains have been captured.”
The book, a New York Times best seller, includes Dr. Kessler’s own candid admission that he struggles with overeating.
“I wouldn’t have been as interested in the question of why we can’t resist food if I didn’t have it myself,” he said. “I gained and lost my body weight several times over. I have suits in every size.”
This is not a diet book, but Dr. Kessler devotes a sizable section to “food rehab,” offering practical advice for using the science of overeating to our advantage, so that we begin to think differently about food and take back control of our eating habits.
One of his main messages is that overeating is not due to an absence of willpower, but a biological challenge made more difficult by the overstimulating food environment that surrounds us. “Conditioned hypereating” is a chronic problem that is made worse by dieting and needs to be managed rather than cured, he said. And while lapses are inevitable, Dr. Kessler outlines several strategies that address the behavioral, cognitive and nutritional factors that fuel overeating.
Planned and structured eating and understanding your personal food triggers are essential. In addition, educating yourself about food can help alter your perceptions about what types of food are desirable. Just as many of us now find cigarettes repulsive, Dr. Kessler argues that we can also undergo similar “perceptual shifts” about large portion sizes and processed foods. For instance, he notes that when people who once loved to eat steak become vegetarians, they typically begin to view animal protein as disgusting.
The advice is certainly not a quick fix or a guarantee, but Dr. Kessler said that educating himself in the course of writing the book had helped him gain control over his eating.
“For the first time in my life, I can keep my weight relatively stable,” he said. “Now, if you stress me and fatigue me and put me in an airport and the plane is seven hours late – I’m still going to grab those chocolate-covered pretzels. The old circuitry will still show its head.”
Have you ever wondered why chiropractic works? Most people, even those who have seen a chiropractor before, have never been given a good explanation of why the chiropractic adjustment makes them feel better. Hopefully this will give you a better understanding of how chiropractic helps millions feel great and stay out of pain!
Improves Joint Movement
The most basic effect the adjustment has is to improve the way the joints in the spine move. Remember the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz? Although I rarely see a patient whose joints are actually squeaking, I have seen lots of folks that are in need of a little “oil”. Rather than lubricating your joints chemically, the adjustment When normal motion is lost this leads to arthritis, disc bulges, and the joint pain and stiffness that countless people experience every day.The chiropractic adjustment is unique in that it is able to specifically target joints that are fixated, or not moving properly, and restore movement. This is why many people will notice an immediate improvement in the way they can turn their head or move their low back immediately after an adjustment.
Stimulates Pain Blocking Nerves
To explain this effect of the adjustment, we’ll condense several hundred hours of graduate level neurology into a few minutes. I have lots of incredibly boring textbooks that discuss this in great detail if you’d like to have more detail on the subject (strangely, nobody has every taken me up on this)! We have nerves in the body that cause pain (nociceptors) and nerves that block pain (mechanoreceptors). The pain blocking nerves are located in high concentration in the tiny muscles that attach between the bones in the spine. Research has shown that the quick stretch that takes place during the adjustment causes the pain blocking nerves to be stimulated, causing a decrease not only in pain but in muscle tightness and spasm as well.
Retrains the Joints
Next time you sign a receipt or a check, pay attention to how it feels. For most of us this is an act that is second nature, and we could do it with our eyes closed. Now take the same pen and try and sign your name with your left hand! If you’re like most people it will feel completely unnatural and look like the average first graders handwriting. Why is it that your dominant hand can write so effortlessly and smoothly, while the opposite hand feels awkward and uncoordinated? Both hands have the same birthday, and they connect to the same brain. Then why the difference? Because your writing hand has been TRAINED to perform that task! As we discussed, if an injury caused you to use your non-dominant hand to write, over time the handwriting would begin to look smooth and natural. This is a process called motor learning, or more simply, retraining the joints. This is EXACTLY want we want to accomplish with your spine! It is also the reason you will be adjusted relatively frequently for a short period of time in the acute phase of care. In order to retrain the joints, they must be treated with a certain frequency. If you were to practice writing once a year with your opposite hand would you ever really improve your signature? Of course not. It’s the same principle with the spine.
It starts out as just a twinge, but by the last 5 holes it becomes unbearable. You’re hesitant to really swing that new driver for all it’s worth – fearing that you’ll injure your back even worse .Or maybe you’ve had to stop playing golf completely because your back pain and sciatica are so bad.
Do Any Of These Conditions Affect Your Golf Game?
·Back pain
·Sciatica
·Disc bulging/herniations
·Muscle spasms
·Lumbar facet syndrome
Sure, you can numb the pain if you take enough Vicodin, Soma or some other pill. But the real problem is while you play through all “numbed up”, you are definitely injuring your back even more….without knowing it.
Friends May Tell You Back Pain Comes From a Bad Swing…They’re Wrong!
If your drives are getting shorter and shorter and your putts less smooth, it has more to do with your back than your swing.
Studies show that about one-third of touring PGA and LPGA players are playing with back pain right now. These pros have the best swing mechanics in the world, yet still have back pain!
In addition to that, another study conducted at the University of Calgary showed… “Pain-free golfers demonstrated over twice as much trunk flexion velocity on the downswing”.
This means the less back pain you have, the more flexible your spine is and the faster you can swing – hitting the ball straighter and farther.
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS:
Your driving distance is determined primarily by club-head speed. The larger the arc that the club-head travels through, the faster the club will be going when it contacts the ball. The size of your swing arc will depend on your spinal and pelvic flexibility, not your strength.
Flexibility is much more important to your long game than strength.If you want to hit longer and more powerful golf shots you must improve your posture and flexibility.
My name is Dr. Jonathan Walker, owner of Ocala Chiropractic Center. I am a chiropractic physician, and I work with Dr. Anthony Sancetta, a medical physician. We are the only practice in Marion County that has both types of doctors working together to achieve the best results. Over the years since we’ve opened the doors, we’ve helped hundreds of golfer’s in the area feel better, return to the course and hit longer, straighter shots.
I’m running a special 14-day offer for those golfers suffering with back problems. Until May 26, $47* will get you all the services I normally charge new patients $250 for!
Why would I practically give away my services? Because patients tell me too often…
“I only wished I had found you sooner”
This happens so often, I decided to do something about it and run this ad. Just call before May 26, 2009 and here’s what you’ll get…
·An in-depth consultation about your health where I will listen…really listen.
·A complete nerve, muscle and spinal exam to find the “cause” of your problem.
·A full set of specialized x-rays to look for misalignments, bad posture, and joint degeneration… (NOTE: These would normally cost you at least $100).
·A thorough analysis of your exam and x-ray findings so we can map out your plan to better health.
We’ll answer all of your most probing question about chiropractic and what it can do for you.
The appointment will not take long at all and you won’t be sitting in a waiting room all day either.
To take me up on this special offer, you must call 352-732-5590 before May 26, 2009.
If It’s Good Enough for the Pros…
The PGA has a full time chiropractor present at every PGA event year round. Even Tiger Woods has had a chiropractor on his team since the beginning of this career.In fact, he rode on the Chiropractic Centennial Float in the 1995 Pasadena tournament of Roses Parade. Before the parade, he said…
“I’ve been going to the chiropractor for as long as I remember. It’s as important to my game as practicing my swing!” – Tiger Woods
When you call between the hours of 8:00 am and 6:00 pm Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and 9:00 am and 1:00 pm Tuesday and Thursday, tell the receptionist you’d like to come in for the Special Golfer’s Evaluation before May 26, 2009.
Call today and we can get started with your consultation, exam and x-rays as soon as there’s an opening in the schedule.
Our office is called Ocala Chiropractic Center and it’s located just east of the downtown square on East Silver Springs Blvd.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jonathan Walker D.C.
Dr. Anthony Sancetta D.O.
P.S. Golf is a sport that requires your back in every aspect. If you do not address your back pain properly, it can haunt you and force you to give up golf forever.
Don’t let back pain handicap your golf game any longer.
Phone 352-732-5590
*Not applicable to Medicaid, Medicare or Medicare replacement policies. BUT HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS! An evaluation with Dr. Sancetta is covered by Medicare, and can help determine if you’re a candidate for treatment! The patient and any other person responsible for payment has the right to refuse to pay, cancel payment or be reimbursed for payment for any other service, examination or treatment which is performed as a result of and within 72 hours of responding to the advertisement for the free, discounted or reduced fee services, examination or treatment.
Tomorrow morning, instead of wolfing down a bagel as you run out the door, scramble up a few eggs with some cheddar cheese and black forest ham.
According to a bunch of new studies, this high protein breakfast will help you manage your hunger while also reducing the amount of calories that you pack away throughout the day.
The Science
University of Conneticut researchers found that adult men who consumed eggs for breakfast:
consumed fewer calories following the egg breakfast compared to the bagel breakfast
consumed fewer total calories in the 24-hour period after the egg breakfast compared to the bagel breakfast
reported feeling less hungry and more satisfied three hours after the egg breakfast compared to the bagel breakfast
This study was presented at Experimental Biology 2009. This research builds upon previous work by Dr. Fernandez which showed how the cholesterol from egg yolks improves the level of good (HDL) cholesterol.
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A second study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, concluded thateating eggs for breakfast as part of a reduced-calorie diet helped overweight dieters lose 65 percent more weight and feel more energetic than dieters who ate a bagel breakfast of equal calories and volume.
And if that isn’t enough proof, you can check out this study which showed that getting your protein with breakfast was more effective at controlling hunger.
But what about the cholesterol?
For years, we have been told to avoid eating too many whole eggs.
We’ve been warned by the experts that the cholesterol found in those egg yolks are going to clog our arteries.
Maybe the experts are wrong.
New research (presented at Experimental Biology 2009) out of the University of Florida State examined the relationship between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as body mass index, serum lipids and levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and the degree to which these factors are influenced by dietary intake of fiber, fat and eggs. The study found:
no relationship between egg consumption and serum lipid profiles, especially serum total cholesterol, as well as no relationship between egg consumption and hs-CRP
a positive correlation between dietary trans-fat intake (the margarine on your bagel) and CVD risk factors, as well as a negative correlation between fiber and vitamin C intake and CVD risk factors(6)
In additional research presented at Experimental Biology, investigators with Exponent, Inc. evaluated egg consumption data from the NHANES III Follow-Up Survey to determine the association between egg consumption and heart health. The researchers developed a statistical model which showed:
no increased risk of death from coronary heart disease with increased egg consumption
a reduced risk of mortality among men who consumed one to six eggs/week compared to less than one egg/week
a significant reduction in risk of stroke among women who consumed one to six eggs/week and one or more eggs/day
So, while I am not advocating that you chug back a dozen raw eggs at breakfast a la Rocky, I am suggesting that you replace your morning toast with an omelette.
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