Latest Newsletters

BREAK THE STRESS-FAT CONNECTION!

In this issue:

1) Quote Worth Remembering
2) Welcome from Dr. Peeke
3) Answers to Reader Questions
4) Healthy Eats from Eva
5) Mind/Mouth/Muscle Tips from Eva
6) Shari's Secrets for Success
7) Jason's Fitness Tips
7) Schedule of lectures and appearances: log onto www.drpeeke.com for a
complete list of Dr. Peeke's media appearances

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.
- Beverly Sills, American Opera Singer

January, 2006

Hello Everyone.

We're starting out this New Year with a bang. January 2nd I was featured on the CBS Early Morning Show highlighting my Body for Life for Women book and the new DVD which provides week by week motivation and tips, as well as a workout program.

And I'm on the road this month speaking as a keynote for Microsoft's annual women's meeting in Seattle in addition to keynoting more medical conferences through the end of the month.

But here's the big news.

My TV series, the Discovery Health National Body Challenge, begins to air Jan 15th at 8PM EST, along with the launch of the entire National Body Challenge. This is our 8 week challenge for all Americans to sign up by clicking onto www.discoveryhealth.com and following the prompts for registering for the National Body Challenge.

My new book, The National Body Challenge Success Program for the Whole Family, is a companion and guide throughout this challenge. It features the program I have developed for the challenge for the past 2 years, as well as a wealth of success stories to help motivate everyone out there. Discovery Health TV has done a phenomenal job of teaming to provide a free, 8 week program chock full of resources to help you get your nutrition and fitness goals achieved.

I am thrilled to be part of this challenge as the featured doctor and medical spokesperson. I will be launching the challenge the weekend of Jan 14-15, first in New York and then in Bethesda, Maryland.

I am honored to be accompanied by First Lady of Arkansas Janet Huckabee who, with her husband Governor Mike Huckabee, wrote the Foreward to my book and are the national spokespersons for the National Body Challenge. You'll see them featured on the Discovery Health channel's public service announcements about the TV series as well. As we begin another year, take a moment now to sit down and write out no more than 3 realistic goals you want to achieve in the next 12 months. Keep them short and simple. Commit to them. For instance: " I will commit to eating a healthy breakfast every day I can. I will put on a pedometer and do my best to achieve 10,000 steps per day. I will get to bed earlier and get at least 6 hours of sleep each night." Write it down , keep it posted and begin the journey.

In Body for Life for Women, I have a contract for you to sign to commit to yourself throughout the year. Finally, take a moment to review the 10 Power Mind Principles in Chapter 1 and just chill out and be patient. You'll do fine if you love yourself for your strengths, build on them, and live life more joyfully.

Heck, you deserve it. Keep saying that! Have a great month!

Dr. Peeke

If you have a question for Dr. Peeke, or the staff at the Peeke Performance Center, please email us or write us. Just go to the "Contact Us" page shown on the left side of this Newsletter.

(Q)

I’m just starting the Body for Life for Women plan and am wondering if eggplant is a vegetable I can eat. Also are butternut and acorn squash considered starchy vegetables?

Thanks much.

Dana.

(A)

Dana, Actually no fruits or vegetables are off limits with our program. In fact we try to encourage people to eat 8 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, because except for the starchy vegetables (beans, peas, corn, and potatoes) they are low in calories. All of them are important sources of valuable nutrition and their high water and fiber content "fill us up" so we feel more satisfied with a meal.

1/2 cup of boiled eggplant is only 13 calories! 1/2 cup of baked or mashed winter squash is 40 calories, but so highly nutritious we lump it in with the non-starchy vegetables. Compare this to 1/2 cup mashed white potatoes at 55 calories and 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato at 88 calories.

Although these vegetables, too, are very nutritious, they're automatically higher in energy value (calories) so you need to be careful with portions. People who consistently consume 10 servings of fruits and vegetables (and of course prepared in low fat or fat free ways) rarely have a weight issue, so we can all learn from this fact! Good luck and let us know how you do! Eva Rand, MS, RD

(Q)

I am going to be starting Dr. Peeke’s program as a healthy lifestyle change and would like to know if and how I can gear it for my husband?

Thanks!

Beth.

(A)

Beth, I would be happy to answer your question about how to modify our program for your husband. Can it be done? A resounding Yes! and it's really quite easy.

The same principles of quality, quantity and frequency of meals applies to him as well. The only difference might be in portions, which is another way of saying energy intake per meal and per day, often expressed as calories. And this is determined by his present weight, his healthy goal weight, and his level of physical activity.

He can go about it scientifically and consult with a Registered Dietitian to determine this value, or he could simply begin exercising more, if he's been overly sedentary, and he could start applying the many principles of better eating discussed in the book, if he believes there is room for improvement!

Just doing a few simple things like eating out less, eating smaller portions (doggy bag half) when he does eat out, avoiding fried food like the plague, cutting back on alcohol if he drinks, drinking more water, and increasing fruit and vegetable intake can all make a big difference.

After he puts these changes into effect for himself, he can refine the process further by more closely examining his daily approach and looking for more areas of improvement (supervised by you, of course!)

I would also recommend you purchase a body fat analyzer, such as any of the many models made by Tanita. They're sold in sports stores as well as stores that specialize in furnishings for the bath, or you can just go to www.tanita.com. You can get one that is programmable for two, so each of you can use it to track your weight, but more importantly, to track your body composition. Stay (or get) active to lose the fat, not the muscle. Good luck, and let us know how the two of you do! Eva Rand, MS, RD

Good Eats with Eva By Eva Rand, MS, RD, LD

Shattering Common Health Myths

This month’s topic is designed to wake you up, help you get real, and throw in a bit of tough love.

Are you digging your grave with a knife and fork? Have you been suckered into believing that you can be fit and fat? Are you aware of your growing girth (increasing waist circumference) but not making the connection between that simple measurement and increased risk of heart disease and diabetes?

Then consider the following.

Belly fat is particularly adept at producing certain proteins that increase inflammation in the body and contribute to narrowing of the arteries and the formation of blood clots. But sadly, many patients, and even some doctors, are unaware that abdominal fat and waist circumference contribute to heart disease that kills nearly 1 million Americans and 17 million people worldwide each year.

Measuring waist circumference is an easy, low cost indicator that should be added to measurements of other cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, unhealthy ratio of blood lipids (high triglycerides and LDL cholesterol; low HDL cholesterol), and elevated blood glucose. (When at least three of these values are high, it is defined as metabolic syndrome.)

So if you are a woman with a waist measuring over 35 inches, or a man with a waist measuring over 40 inches, consider yourself in the high risk category for heart disease. And if you are a doctor reading this and guilty of NOT informing your patients of the seriousness of significant belly fat (and more than half of heart patients state that this is the case), then please take these facts (literally) to heart.

If you are an adolescent, the parent of one, or her pediatrician, consider this. As recently published in the journal Pediatrics, central adiposity (a high waist circumference) and elevated triglyceride (blood fat) levels are predictive of later metabolic syndrome. “These findings are consistent with earlier reports that waist circumference is the primary predictor of the metabolic consequences of obesity and that what happens in childhood central obesity is critical,” the authors conclude.

Metabolic syndrome could also be called the lack-of-exercise syndrome. As noted in the Muscle section of this month’s News You Can Use, blood sugar and insulin levels change very rapidly with the addition and exclusion of physical activity. In fact all of the medical symptoms of metabolic syndrome are improved with exercise, and exacerbated with its absence. Thus promoting higher levels of cardio respiratory fitness through greater physical activity could be one of the most valuable and cost-effective public health strategies for the prevention of metabolic syndrome. But you don’t have to wait for the government to tell you what you now know. Get moving and don’t delay.

Are you one of those people who think that being overweight or obese is not a big health concern as long as you have normal blood pressure and cholesterol? You could be making a deadly assumption. The results of a long-term (30 year) study just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people who were obese when they were middle-aged, but who had no known heart disease risk factors, were much more likely to die or be hospitalized for heart disease or diabetes than people of normal weight. Thus obesity itself is an independent risk factor for developing heart disease. Obesity affects all of the body’s organs and systems negatively.

So what has been learned from people who successfully drop and pounds and keep it off? Those listed in the National Weight Control Registry: 1.) exercise at least one hour a day. With vigor. Don’t be a slouch potato. 2.) eat a moderate to low fat diet. Ditch the fried foods, cut back on cheese, beef, take-out. 3.) eat breakfast every day. Just like your mother told you. Match a lean protein with a smart carb. 4.) themselves every day. Get a scale that tells you your body composition (body fat) as well as your weight. Don’t be afraid of the number. Don’t freak out. Accept it and begin the process of improving it. If it’s still too scary to contemplate, use the “clothes-o-meter” idea from Dr. Peeke’s Body for Life for Women.

So take a deep breath, break out of your malaise, find your “target motivation” (from Dr. Peeke’s book), surround yourself with like-minded people, and begin taking some important steps to reduce your belly (and body) fat. Sign up for the Discovery Health National Body Challenge and get a copy of Dr. Peeke’s Body for Life for Women.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

MIND, MOUTH & MUSCLE with Eva

Eva Rand, MS, RD, LD

MIND

Are you resigned to the idea that mental decline is inevitable as we age? Perhaps you have older relatives who just aren’t as sharp as they used to be, especially in terms of recall. Well, thanks to recent research, this may be one more myth of aging that we can drop into the trash bin.

The key is prevention. The secret is surprisingly simple. Eat your fruits and vegetables, and exercise every day. As for the former, a recent study out of Utah State University, geared to dementia prevention, followed more than 5000 seniors over an 8 year period. They found that those with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables scored better on memory tests than those with the poorest intake. How much should you eat? The latest government guidelines call for 7 to 10 servings per day. Sadly the average American consumes only 2 or 3 servings a day, and our most popular vegetable is the French fry! If you fall into this category, and you know who you are, why not begin by keeping a simple tally of your fruit and vegetable intake. Increase gradually by 1 serving per day, then each week just add 1 more until you hit the 7 to 10 zone. A memory is a terrible thing to waste!

As for exercise, another recent study just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, that followed a large group of seniors over 9 years, found the frequency of dementia was 13 per 1000 person years for those who exercised 3 or more times a week, compared with 19.7 per 1000 person years for those who exercised less. Some researchers have theorized that exercise might reduce brain levels of amyloid, a sticky protein that clogs the brain in Alzheimer’s patients. Still to be determined is the answer to the question of what type of exercise is the most beneficial.

Not to be overlooked are the bonus prizes of multiple disease prevention by adopting both policies, shifting to a more heavily plant-based diet and increased physical activity: Lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and most cancers, healthier weight, stronger joints, lower blood pressure, anti-depressant effects as effective as medication, and setting a great example for those around you!

MOUTH

In our youth-obsessed society, we often focus on the superficialities of appearance. But outward appearance doesn’t mean much if internal organs are aging quickly. And since we consider matters of the heart on St. Valentine’s Day this month, it seemed appropriate to share with you some important results of a study just published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The study looked at the heart function of 25 members of the Calorie Restriction Society, ages 41 to 64, who consume 1400 to 2000 nutritionally balanced calories per day. They were compared to 25 people who eat a typical Western diet, consuming 2000 to 3000 calories per day (the average in America is 2800!)

What the researchers found, in this first ever study on humans, is that the heart ages more slowly, delaying or even reversing age-associated declines in heart function. These findings confirm earlier studies on mice and rats that demonstrate the cardiac benefits of a restricted calorie diet. But in the words of the lead author, Luigi Fontana, “simply consuming less food is not the answer.”

Members of the study group eat food resembling a traditional Mediterranean diet, focusing on vegetables, beans, whole grains, fish, fruit, and olive oil. They avoid refined and process foods, meat, dairy, soft drinks, desserts, white bread, and sources of empty calories. So how about presenting your sweetheart with a luscious basket of fresh fruit along with that box of chocolates?!

You may want to complete that Mediterranean meal with a cup of caffeinated coffee. A study just published in the January International Journal of Cancer found that women with the so-called BRCA1 mutation, who have an 80% risk of developing breast cancer before their 70th birthday, benefited from heavy coffee consumption. “Those women who drank 6 or more cups of coffee a day on average had about a 75% risk reduction for breast cancer,” said University of Toronto professor and principle study author, Steven Narod.

Narod is a leading cancer researcher who helped isolate the BRCA1 and BRAC2 mutations a decade ago in women primarily of Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jewish heritage. The study results indicate that drinking fewer cups of coffee are also protective: 5 to 6 cups dropped risk by 69%, 4 to5 cups by 25%, and 2 to 3 cups by 10%. How is this possible? We have different forms of estrogen in the body. Caffeine affects the enzyme that increases a protective form. The researchers now want to know how caffeine ingestion affects women without the BRCA genes, and have proposed a new study. Stay tuned.

MUSCLE

If an apple a day keeps Alzheimer’s away (see Mind above) then a gym visit a day keeps the Doctor away. A new study shows that in as little as two days of physical inactivity, the body’s efficient use of insulin may start to decrease, potentially contributing to increased risk of diabetes and related diseases. Whereas everyone is looking at the benefits of exercise, these researchers from the University of Missouri—Columbia examined the consequences of stopping that exercise. Although these studies were performed on rats, past studies have indicated increases in human blood sugar and insulin after only 5 days of inactivity, but this new study suggests changes could be occurring earlier. So don’t let the rats have all the fun (and health rewards) of the treadmill!

Although the benefits of daily vigorous exercise are legion, don’t discount the value of simply moving more during the day, as an additional form of calorie burning. As reported in a recent issue of Science, overweight couch potatoes sit about 2 ½ hrs per day more than normal weight couch potatoes. The leaner people simply moved around more, doing basic activities such as cleaning, organizing, “puttering.” They used about 350 more calories each day.

The message here seems to be that there is value is designing your environment so that you have to move more. This means at home and at work. Many of us are under pressure to accomplish more and more in less and less time, but if the price we pay is added pounds, fatigue, and stress, then there needs to be some balance. Talk it over with the people you live and work with and see what you can come up with!

Shari's Secrets for Success By Shari Frishett, MSW, LCSW-C

Taming Your Toxic Valentine

Here in Dr. Peeke’s busy offices we're seeing some familiar February problems. One partner is seeing some success at removing Toxic Weight and setting self-care boundaries, and the other partner, well, isn't. On the journey toward stress resilience, those closest to us either help or hinder our progress. Use this Valentine's Day as a time to reflect on your relationships. If you've started getting healthier, only to find those closest to you getting weirder, this column is for you.

One of my patients (he's lost 100 pounds this past year) noticed the weirdness and sought out my help. He began struggling when his friends at college seemed to “forget” he'd ever had a weight problem. Instead of encouraging him to go to the gym and carefully choosing healthy restaurants as they'd been doing, they started treating him like “one of the guys”. They complained when he wouldn't go for midnight pizza, and kept pushing him to skip the gym “just this once”. Eventually he sat them all down and explained that he needed their support. They said, “what do you care about working out…you're thin now!!” It was then that he realized they weren't doing it to be malicious; they were really just clueless! A quick chat and some troubleshooting and now they're back to their old supportive selves.

You are going though a life changing experience and to a certain extent, your partner is along for the ride. If you notice you keep bumping heads, you'll need to sit down and discuss it. One patient's husband enjoyed cooking gourmet food, and he really got bent out of shape when she begin taking smaller portions and refusing some of his more fat-laden fare. He saw it as a sign that she wasn't appreciating him. He viewed it as a rejection. She felt undermined and angry…he knew how hard it was for her so why did he keep cooking like that? By talking about it together, he saw it wasn't personal, and even got into some lighter cooking. They also agreed to go for one truly “over the top” meal (with small portions) once a month. Having it less often actually made them appreciate it more. They even started walking together during the time they used to spend eating and drinking the night away.

Now each situation is unique, and while some spouses are great with social support, some aren't. Relationships may even break up if one partner is successful at achieving a significant weight loss, and the other just can't handle it. Reasons for this are simple. People are used to patterns, and when you change your life it affects theirs. Sometimes, one partner begins to set aside self-care time for exercise or meditation, and its seen by others as selfish. When one partner begins to significantly alter their behavior, it can have a potent impact. Perhaps your partner is the one getting healthy and its really putting a cramp in your style? The two of you used to snuggle up in bed and eat ice cream in front of the tube. Maybe you loved to try out different wines on the weekends, but he no longer indulges. Instead, he's getting out of bed at the crack of dawn to work out with a personal trainer!

But your relationship doesn't have to suffer because you no longer share Ben and Jerry! The good news: your struggle to become more healthy does not have to be a struggle between you and the people you love. There is no perfect way to fit your new stress resilient lifestyle into your current relationships. There is also no one right way to show support for someone who is on this journey. Do whatever works, and keep the lines of communication open.

Here are some tips to help:

• Talk it out! Discuss things before they get out of hand. Define problems; perhaps the two of you can work out a solution together. Otherwise, you need to take action and take care of yourself.
• Time out! If you need it - take time out. Don't say whatever you think. Express feelings, but hurtful words leave lasting wounds.
• Problem solve, don't blame! Handle conflict by focusing on the issue, whether it's a schedule change, having different food on hand, etc. Deal with the problem only; don't throw in that time he forgot your anniversary 10 years ago.
• Criticize actions, not people! If something goes awry (and it will) criticize your partner's actions, not your partner.
• It's not personal! Don't take it personally if your partner won't join you for your 5 am power walk. Don't insist they go to the gym with you. Forcing your partner into your new lifestyle will create stress and conflict.
• Don't compete!! If together you decide to support one another by exercising or eating well, make health the focus: it's not a weight loss competition!
• Be patient! Everyone needs to practice patience. Practice, practice, practice!

What if you are in a relationship with someone who is unwilling to grow and change with you, yet you feel you cannot leave? Realize that you are the most important person in the relationship. You must be the focus of your efforts to change and grow as you journey toward stress resilience. Widen your social support network, work on filling your emotional needs with other people and activities you enjoy.

Researchers have found that the key to successful long-term relationships is flexibility. Being flexible enough to change and flexible enough to tolerate change. Good relationships endure and improve, not in spite of challenges but because of them. Many of us are so idealistic about intimacy that we expect the impossible, then create situations that lead to disappointment. If we follow the principles of regrouping, our relationships can be extraordinarily resilient, growing stronger in spite of life's difficulties.

Good luck, and Happy Valentine's Day!

Jason's Fitness Tips

14 Time-Saving Training Tips

Jason Hadeed, CCS Elite Athlete Training Systems, Inc.

For most people, it seems like seconds count in their personal and professional lives. Catching a plane for a sales trip, critical appointments with clients, running around with your kids, making sure they get to school, to practice, to games, or whatever other hundred things they're involved with each day. You get the picture, right?

1. Change your foot placement.
   
   Take a narrower stance on the leg press/squat or maybe a shoulder width stance. Try the exercise on one leg, this makes the exercise more intense and you will only need a set or two.
   
   
2. Polar opposites
   
   Train opposing muscle groups during your rest periods. Also called "push/pull training”. Just like in life, we are always getting pushed and pulled, so why not in the gym. For example, after you get done doing a set of bench press (push) to work your chest, IMMEDIATELY go to the lat pull down machine (pull) to do a set of pull downs for your upper and middle back. Then you can go to a shoulder press for your shoulders (push) to a compound row for the upper back (pull). You get the picture now!
   
   
3. Stay focused
   
   You've heard it before: he who fails to plan plans to fail. Here is the deal, take your “to do” list that you get done every day, and make one for the gym. OK, today I need to do 20 minutes of cardio and lower body strength training. Oh yeah - you have one hour, because you have to get the kids from soccer…..GO!
   
   
4. Rev up your calorie furnace
   
   Treadmills are great for walking, jogging, or running, but doing a little of each for INTERVAL TRAINING can help kick your body's calorie burning ability into high-gear. Walk for 5 minutes to start. Then jog for 3 minutes, then run at a higher level for 2 minutes, alternating back and forth until you've reached anywhere from 20-40 minutes of total time. If that is not challenging, then turn up the tunes and crank up the intensity, challenge yourself to new levels.
   
   
5. BYOB- Bring your own bottle
   
   Fill it up and stop the pit stops. The water fountain is like a couch, it is where everyone gathers to talk. No more pit stops equal more productivity.
   
   
6. Avoid Rush Hour
   
   Try to hit the gym in the morning or afternoon, but not during rush hour, which is when most accidents in the gym happen. Not the type you are thinking, but the one more like, “Wow- I did not mean to talk for that long but now I gotta go!” 7. Early bird gets the worm
   
   Most gyms have fewer members in the early-morning hours. Plus, you'll often find they're less talkative - maybe because they're trying to wake up.
   
   
7. Warm it up!
   
   Just 5 - 10 minutes raises your body temperature, helps get the blood flowing, and lubricates your leg joints, enhancing workout performance and decreasing risk of injury.
   
   
8. ADHD Aerobics
   
   Yep, you heard me. Get on one cardio machine for 5-10 min and jump to another, it breaks up the monotony and keeps the body guessing.
   
   
9. Cut the chatter
   
   Yes, you look forward to chatting with your friends at the gym. But when time is on the line and you have to zip through your workout, TELL THEM. That way you get your workout in without making them feel ignored. Even better throw on some headphones and just lose yourself in the music.
   
   
10. Race against the clock
    
    Expanding on tip #3 - set an amount of time for your workout, as well as goals and get them done. If you have one hour from when you walk in the door - get straight to work.
    
    
11. Train with your partner
    
    Sometimes exercise can seem like it is stealing time away from your spouse or significant other. Why not go to the gym together? You don't actually have to work out together - your workouts will be very different. Better than feeling guilty about not spending time together.
    
    
12. Learn your gym geography
    Just know the layout of your gym, this can help you navigate through your workouts quicker - if stuck ask your local trainer.
    
    
13. Prepare
    
    Have your bag ready to go in the morning - whether you go to the gym in the morning or in the evening. Nothing can be more of a buzz kill than forgetting your music or workout gloves. Also, it prevents you from having to go home if you go to the gym after work. If you do this, it significantly reduces the chance of you even getting to the gym.
    
    If you have to go home for whatever reason, do not - I REPEAT - DO NOT SIT ON THE COUCH! That will guarantee a missed gym visit. Believe me, I have been there and forget the, “I will just nap for a few minutes”. I tried that too. NOPE! Good luck I hope this helps a little in your efforts to achieving your goals!