More and more patients are taking prescription medications to strengthen their bones.  In my practice I commonly see patients taking bisphosphonate prescriptions such as alendronate or risedronate to help with bone loss.  However, new research now indicates that Vitamin D levels may be linked to the response rate for bisphosphonate treatment in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.  Current research indicates that a baseline maintenance of Vitamin D levels at 30 ng/ml may be required for adequate response to bisphophonate treatment in bone loss.  Nevertheless, we want to get optimal results not adequate results! I tell my patients that their vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) levels should be between 50-70ng/ml.

Failed Back Surgery Syndrome:

Can there be anything worse then long term back pain?  How about failed back surgery?  A recent study looked at the connection between Vitamin D levels in association with people that had failed back surgery syndrome.  The study looked at low back function and pain in relation to Vitamin D levels.  Subjects in the study were supplemented with Vitamin D for 6 months.  The study concluded that after 6 months of Vitamin D supplementation that the mean Vitamin D level, pain score, and back function improved in 7 of 9 subjects.

Coronary heart disease:

In Canada, heart disease or stroke kills a person every 7 minutes.  Coronary heart disease is a narrowing of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. Symptoms may be very noticeable, but sometimes you can have the disease and not have any symptoms.  However, the most common symptom is chest pain.  If you have a family history of cardiovascular disease inform your doctor and make sure you are following a prevention treatment program.

A recent study looked at the levels of serum Vitamin D and the extent of coronary artery disease and inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein and fibrinogen).  The study found that low Vitamin D levels had a correlation to high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and C-reactive protein.  The study concluded that Vitamin D levels may be a significant predictor for the severity of coronary artery disease.

How many people are deficient in Vitamin D?  What are your levels?

Statistics Canada found that two-thirds of the population has Vitamin D levels below the proper amounts research has associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases such as cancer.  Statistics Canada also found that one in 10 people do not have enough Vitamin D for good bone health.

Dr. Jordan’s Final Thoughts:

1) Get your vitamin D levels tested.  There are two tests that can determine your level of Vitamin D, such as 1,25(OH)D and 25(OH)D.  Make sure to ask for the latter test, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, as it is a better indicator of overall health.

2) If your levels are low, below 30ng/ml, I would suggest increasing sun exposure, eating foods high in Vitamin D (salmon, sardines) or taking a Vitamin D supplement (1000 IU/d).

3) Prevention is key to longevity!

If you would like more information about improving your health, please book an appointment with Dr. Jordan at West Vancouver Wellness Centre  604.925.2560

Reference:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22534630

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22535805

http://www.mendeley.com/research/25-hydroxyvitamin-d-serum-levels-influence-adequate-response-bisphosphonate-treatment-postmenopausal/

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/100323/dq100323a-eng.htm

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/statscan-finds-widespread-vitamin-d-deficiency-in-canadians/article1510334/

http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3483991/k.34A8/Statistics.htm

New research from Sweden has found that adolescents that were deficient in Vitamin D had improved mood after being supplemented with Vitamin D.

Dr. Jordan’s Final Thoughts:

Vitamin D supplementation can increase well-being, improve depressed feelings, irritability, tiredness and mood swings.  People may also have improved sleep, concentration and decreased pain.

Findings suggest supplementation of vitamin D may be useful in ameliorating of symptoms of depression in adolescents.

References:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22372707

When Is The Right Time To Do A Detox?

In my clinic, I make sure that my patients are healthy before doing a detox.  I make sure that my patients are eating the right foods, and exercising regularly before starting any type of detoxification process.

Length Of Detox:

On average I recommend a 14 day detox to my patients.  Clinically, I get great results with my patients on a 14 day detox, as we modify their diet, supplements and lifestyle.  For some individuals I may recommend a 30 day detox (ie. chronic smoker of 30 years).

The Big Food Groups To Avoid:

The 3 main foods that I recommend for my patients to avoid during a detox are: dairy (cheese, milk and yogurt), gluten grains (wheat, oats, spelt, rye and barley) and meat.

Supporting The Liver:

Supporting phase 1 and phase 2 of the liver is crucial for a proper detoxification.  When doing a detox you want to make sure both phases of the liver are getting the proper nutrients so the liver can function properly.  If one phase of the liver is slowed down, toxins can be backed up in the liver and cause unwanted symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vertigo, skin rash, and fatigue.

A Good Analogy Of Phase 1 And Phase 2 Of The Liver:

PHASE 1: Taking your garbage out of your house and placing it outside in the bin.

PHASE 2: The garbage man picking up the garbage from the bin and taking it away to the dump!

Both phases are important and if either phase is not working you will have a back log of garbage (toxins) either inside your house or at your back door!

Supplements:

I make sure that my patients get proper nutrients to help with phase 1 and 2 of the liver.  Key nutrients include: B Vitamins, fiber, medicinal herbs (milk thistle and taraxacum officinalis), amino acids (glycine, taurine and glutamine), and antioxidants (glutathione and carotenoids).

Dr. Jordan’s Final Thoughts:

1) A detox is a great thing to do 1-2x a year.

2) Make sure you are healthy before doing a detox.

3) The internet has thousands of different detoxification products on the market.  Do your research before doing a detox. I would recommend that you do a detox under the supervision of a health care provider.

If you would like more information about improving your health, please book an appointment with Dr. Jordan at West Vancouver Wellness Centre  604.925.2560

What can we do to help older adults who eat low protein meals?

A new study from the University of Texas Medical Branch has found that leucine may be beneficial for protein synthesis in elderly patients who consume low protein meals.

How much leucine do we need?

The researchers supplemented the low protein meals of older individuals with leucine (4 g/meal; 3 meals/day).

Dr. Jordan’s Final Thoughts:
1) When older adults supplement with leucine, it may improve muscle protein synthesis in response to lower protein meals.

2) I would also encourage older adults to look at protein shakes as a source of nutrients.  Look for a protein powder that has high amounts of minerals and vitamins as well!

3) Patients should also consider nutrient dense soups with quinoa, lentil, and tofu.  These foods can be added with your favorite vegetables to chicken or vegetable broth.  These nutrient dense foods are very affordable and can range in protein from 10-17 grams per cup.

4) You will be surprised at how amazing you feel when you eat healthy!

If you would like more information about improving your health, please book an appointment with Dr. Jordan at West Vancouver Wellness Centre  604.925.2560

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22357161

Why Vitamin D?

Previous studies showed that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) showed to consistently have low levels of vitamin D.

What is the difference between the forms of Vitamin D?

Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D2) – A synthetic form of Vitamin D. This is the form found in most nutritional supplements. D2 is substantially less bioavailable than D3.
Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) – The naturally occurring form of the D Vitamin. This is the same Vitamin D manufactured by the human body when skin makes contact with direct sunlight. Cholecalciferol is five-times (or 500%) more bioavailable than Ergocalciferol, which means that D3 is converted into a usable form by the body at a rate five times faster than is the case with D2.

Final thoughts:

The authors of the study concluded that cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) replacement might improve outcomes to a greater extent than ergocalciferol (vitamin D2), and might be better in limiting health-care costs and expenses.  Recent research also supports the use of liquid Vitamin D3 to tablet form.

If you would like more information about improving your health, please book an appointment with Dr. Jordan at West Vancouver Wellness Centre 604.925.2560.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1447-0594.2011.00798.x/abstract

• Diabetes affects 25.8 million people of all ages (8.3 percent of the U.S. population)
• About 215,000 people younger than 20 years had diabetes—type 1 or type 2—in the United States in 2010.
• About 1.9 million people ages 20 years or older were newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2010 in the United States.
• Among U.S. residents ages 65 years and older, 10.9 million, or 26.9 percent, had diabetes in 2010.

The number of people with type 2 diabetes is increasing dramatically due to a number of factors:

• The population is aging.
• Obesity rates are rising.
• Canadian lifestyles are increasingly sedentary.
• Almost 80% of new Canadians come from populations that are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes. These include people of Aboriginal, Hispanic, Asian, South Asian or African descent.

Simple tips to help with type 2 diabetes:

The onset of type 2 diabetes may be prevented or delayed, through increased physical activity, healthy eating and weight loss.

Top nutrition and lifestyle tips:

• Switch from regular pop to water
• Switch to low fat dairy products, such as 1% or skim milk
• Eat healthy snacks such as fresh fruits or veggies
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Leave the car at home and choose to bike or walk

Vitamin boost to the rescue!

New research has demonstrated that patients currently taking metformin plus supplementation with vitamin C will improve several monitoring factors such as fasting blood sugar, post meal blood sugar and HbA1c.  After only 12 weeks of treatment with Vitamin C, significant improvements were observed in fasting blood sugar, post meal blood sugar, and HbA1c levels.  The researchers concluded that supplementation of vitamin C with metformin may reduce fasting blood sugar, post meal blood sugar, and improve HbA1c.

If you would like more information about improving your health, please book an appointment with Dr. Jordan at West Vancouver Wellness Centre 604.925.2560.

http://www.diabetes.ca/diabetes-and-you/what/prevalence/

http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/DM/PUBS/statistics/

Why are you having trouble losing weight?

Having the proper nutrients in your diet is key to a healthy waistline.  Finding foods that are rich in Vitamins and Minerals is key.  Many of the fast foods people consume are empty calories that gather around our waistline, only reminding us that we need more nutrient rich foods.  Avoid foods that come in a can or a box.  Choose foods that are fresh and organic!

Nutrients to the rescue!

New research from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that obese and overweight individuals that supplemented with Vitamin D and Calcium, reported a loss in abdominal fat.  All vitamins and minerals play in integral part with how our body functions.  Missing keys nutrients in your diet can be similar to missing letters on your keyboard while trying to write an email.

What foods contain high amounts of Calcium?

White beans, navy beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, almonds, sesame seed kernels, tahini, tofu, broccoli, kale, okra, turnip greens.

What foods contain high amounts of Vitamin D?

Trout, Herring, Salmon (sockeye, atlantic, pink, chum, pacific), Tuna (bluefin, skipjack, yellowfin), Sardines (atlantic and pacific).  If you do not consume fish in your diet, I would recommend getting adequate amounts of daily sun (20-30 minutes) or supplementing with Vitamin D3.

If you would like more information about improving your health, please book an appointment with Dr. Jordan at West Vancouver Wellness Centre.

http://www.ajcn.org/content/95/1/101.abstract

1. Tell at least 3 people what your goals are.  Studies show that people are more willing to stick with their goals if they held accountable.

2. Do not make goals that you are not interested in following through.  For example, if you do not like running, do not plan to go for a run every morning at 6 am.  Your goals for 2012, should be goals that are realistic and that you enjoy!

3. Do NOT make too many goals!  Make a couple goals that you are focused on fulfilling.  If you make too many unrealistic goals, you may compromise all the goals and not complete any of them.

4.  Get a friend to join you on your goal!  People are more willing to stick with their goal, if they have someone sharing the same goal!

5.  Detox!  Every year people plan to detox in January.  Most people plan to detox in January because of the mass amounts of foods and beverages consumed over the holiday season!  When you plan a detox, work with a health care practitioner that can supervise your detox to make sure you are healthy enough to do a detox and that you are nutritionally supported during your detox.

If you would like more information, please book an appointment with Dr. Jordan at West Vancouver Wellness Centre.

• Over 25,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year alone (2011).
• Over 4,000 men will die of the disease this year.

• Prostate cancer is the most common cancer to afflict Canadian men.

These numbers tend to turn heads!  It may make one wonder, what can you do to decrease your likelihood of getting prostate cancer.  Exercise and a good diet are always a staple in preventing disease.  But what else can be done?  Below we will look at signs and symptoms of prostate cancer, as well as which nutrients tend to be lower in people diagnosed with prostate cancer.

What are the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer?

Signs and symptoms may include the following: inability to urinate, decreased or weak urine stream, painful ejaculation, blood in urine, burning or pain with urination, intense need to urinate (if you have these symptoms, do not ignore them, go and seek medical attention).

What vitamin is low in people with prostate cancer?

A new study from Spain concluded that low levels of vitamin D were found in patients with prostate cancer.  The study looked at 91 subjects diagnosed with prostate cancer and found that nearly 50% had Vitamin D insufficiency.

Why you may have low levels of Vitamin D?

-Decrease sun exposure

-Decrease Vitamin D in your diet

-Liver and Kidney diseases

-Malabsorption

-Certain medications such as phenytoin, Phenobarbital and rifampin.

How can you determine your Vitamin D levels?

Ask your doctor to measure your Serum 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D levels to determine your current level of Vitamin D.

What are the best sources of vitamin D?

The best source of vitamin D is from moderate sun exposure.  However, if you are in a region where sun is scarce this time of year, I would recommend supplementing with Vitamin D.

Are all Vitamin D supplements the same?

No!  They vary significantly.  It is important to know the different types of vitamin D on the market.  Make sure you are getting Vitamin D, in the correct form.  The most common over the counter Vitamin D is Ergocalciferol (D2).  This form of vitamin D is synthetic and may not be converted to the active form as easily as natural Vitamin D.  You want to make sure that you are getting the best available form of Vitamin D, which is Cholecalciferol (D3).  This is the form of vitamin D that is naturally found in foods.

If you would like more information, please book an appointment with Dr. Jordan at West Vancouver Wellness Centre.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22014882

http://www.cancer.ca/Canada-wide/About%20cancer.aspx?sc_lang=en

Top 10 survival tips for December:

1. Stay hydrated!  Switch from coffee to green tea, lemon water or rooiboos tea.  These energetic alternatives will fuel you through the holidays.

2. Keep the sweets to a minimum.  There is always lots of baked goods in December, so limit yourself to a couple of your favorite sweets.  When you do eat sweets, make sure to have protein at the same time to help keep your blood sugar balanced.   This will help you avoid the nasty sugar spike that lowers your immune system, mood and overall well-being.

3. Have fun!  Keep the body moving!  Exercise is a great way to keep your immune system strong and keep your hormones in check. Exercise increases the release of endorphins which give us a natural high and improves our mood.

4. Be prepared!  Start looking now for simple and smart gifts for your colleagues, family and friends.  Avoid long lines at the store and purchase gifts online.  Or even better – let your creative juices flow and make gifts for others.

5. Say NO!  Do not stretch yourself too thin?  Are you one of those people that goes to 3 holiday parties in one night?  Do not over commit to parties and dinners.  Over-doing-it while burning the candle at both ends will not last forever!  Determine your boundaries so can enjoy the holidays.

6. Keep up your Vitamin C levels!  1-2 grams/day of Vitamin C is great for your immune system.

7. Chicken noodle soup is good for the soul!  Vegetarian chicken noodle soup may be even be better!!  Eat warming foods this month!  This is a great way to get electrolytes, and minerals that our bodies need when they are being overburdened with work and life stresses.

8. Get some sun!  If you can not find any sun, as it is probably snowing or raining, I recommend getting a Vitamin D supplement.  Make sure it is Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), as this is the best and easiest form of Vitamin D to absorb though a supplement.

9. SLEEP.  Adequate amount of sleep is key for proper hormone balance.  Aim to get in bed between 9-10pm, for 8-9 hours of non-interrupted sleep.  Good quality sleep ensures that our circadian rhythm keeps our hormones in check.  While we sleep, our body repairs and recharges itself (similar to recharging your phone at night).

10.  Go nuts!  A recent study from *Biomarkers & NutriMetabolomics Research Group of the University of Barcelona, found that 1 ounce of mixed raw unpeeled walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts daily, increased  serotonin levels.  Serotonin is a substance that helps transmit nerve signals and decreases feelings of hunger.  Serotonin also improves mood as well as heart health.  Remember moderation is key this month!

If you would like more information, please book an appointment with Dr. Jordan at West Vancouver Wellness Centre.

*http://www.mediscuss.org/benefits-nut-consumption-people-abdominal-obesity-high-blood-sugar-high-blood-pressure-18973/